Beadle on Weaponness: It’s never going to happen

After Scarborough Athletic kicked off their campaign 20 miles away in Bridlington, club stalwart Jimmy Beadle lashed out at the council’s failure to bring football back to the town.
The site for the Weaponness Sports VillageThe site for the Weaponness Sports Village
The site for the Weaponness Sports Village

In February last year, SBC told The Scarborough News that construction would begin on the facility at Weaponness Valley by the end of 2013 with the ground in use for the 2014/15 season.

But Boro were forced to open their season at Queensgate after SBC released revised projections, with July 2016 the target date for completion of the sports village.

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Fans’ favourite Beadle isn’t holding his breath as he doesn’t expect the stadium to come to fruition.

Beadle said: “I don’t think they have any intention of building it. If they really wanted to do it, they’d have done it by now.

“Look at other projects they’ve done in town and been completed quickly.

“It’s disappointing as fans of the football club have to spend money going to Bridlington to watch games. The council should be backing us really.

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“They haven’t seemed to back the football club for years though.”

“It makes it worse when they keep giving us timescales on the project too.

“It’s all to suit the council and it gives people false hope.

“It’s never going to happen.”

It’s not just midfielder Beadle, who also played for the former Scarborough FC at the Athletic Ground, who has lost hope of a new ground coming to fruition.

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“I don’t think any of the players think there’ll be a new ground as we keep hearing things but nothing ever materialises,” added Beadle.

“I think we’ll be at Brid for a long time to come.

“It’s becoming harder and harder for the club to survive as it costs so much for the fans to come here. We’re trying to progress up the leagues, but we’re not getting the support that we need.”

“I bet we’re the biggest town in England not to have a football ground. I just don’t think the council have ever been bothered about sport. It’s embarrassing. It’s frustrating.”

Scarborough councillor Sam Cross echoed Beadle’s frustrations at the delays.

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He said: “I just find it extremely sad that this club has gone from Chelsea to Harrogate, while playing at a ground that isn’t even fit for the football league.

“This council promise the earth, yet they deliver nothing. Time and time again, nothing happens.

“All I can say is that I hope that they finally will deliver with this, as the fans and the club deserve better.”

Hilary Jones, Scarborough Borough Council Deputy Chief Executive said: “The leisure village project continues to move forward positively.”