Bath Chronicle – 28 July 2005
Rugby is a vital party of the city - letter from Tim Gwynne, Over Street Brighton
As a fan of Bath Rugby and a resident of Brighton I like to keep up with events through your website www. thisisbath co.uk
I have been reading with interest recent articles and letters relating to the desire of the rugby club to develop its facilties and a small but vociferous minority that is apposed to it.
I have been wondering for sometime who the Friends of the Bath Residents’ Recreation Ground actually are. Surprisingly, according to Worthy Gilson, they “don’t keep a register of members, and the reason for that are that we don’t need to” and they refuse to say “how many members the organisation had”.
Yet they claim to represent “96 or 97% of the opinion of residents” though whether this is 96-97% of Bath or Mr. Gilson’s street is unclear.
In Mr. Gilson’s opinion it is unhelpful that I, as a non-resident, should contribute to the debate. However, if it were not for the rugby club I wouldn’t visit Bath ten times a year, I wouldn’t take a room in a local hotel for the weekend; I wouldn’t eat in the local restaurants; I wouldn’t drink in the local pubs and I wouldn’t be spending money with other local traders. And nor would thousands of other rugby fans.
Bath Rugby is a vital part of the city’s heritage and its heartbeat. It is a valuable revenue generator. In France the rugby club is seen in this way and the local council owns the ground and sponsors the club.
I am always amazed as I walk round Bath on a Sunday that the Rec resembles the Marie Celeste. The only sight of any “friends” is a couple of people walking a dog.
If the Friends of the Bath Residents’ Recreation Ground get their way the Rec will wither and die and the rugby fans will spend their cash elsewhere.
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