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Special reports on Worksop Town FC's exile
ON Wednesday 30th April Tigers were locked out of the council-owned ground they had inhabited for 16 seasons by leaseholder's 1861 Leisure Limited.
Club officials arrived at Sandy Lane to begin repairing the pitch in preparation for the 2008/09 season, but found new locks on the ground's gates.
1861 Leisure chief Howard Raymond gave no explanation for the lockout, claiming that legal issues prevented him from commenting.
Fifteen weeks later and Tigers find themselves preparing for the new league season with a new home - 25 miles away at Hucknall Town's Watnall Road ground.
The reasons for the enforced exile are still unclear, with Mr Raymond alleging that he is set to take Bassetlaw Council to court over a disagreement, and the council refuting those claims and maintaining that the lockout is for the football club and 1861 Leisure to sort out.
Although it seems likely that Tigers will not play at Sandy Lane this season, the pitch may yet be used for football.
The lease between Bassetlaw Council and 1861 Leisure stipulates that the ground must be used for football purposes.
Whilst this is of no help to Tigers, because they are not named in the stipulation, it could see a Sunday League side play on the ground to satisfy the terms of the lease.
Incredibly, one team who have played football at Sandy Lane since the lockout is the former Worksop Town Supporters Club side.
Now operating under the monicker 1861 FC, the team is managed by former Supporters Club chairman Dave Savage, who in a bizarre twist resigned his position this summer and apparently turned his back on Worksop Town, labelling them a 'two-bit' football club in a statement to the Guardian.
Mr Savage has claimed 1861 FC have only been playing pre-season friendly matches at Sandy Lane, and will have their home games at Costhorpe playing fields, but rumours persist that a team from Sheffield has agreed to make the ground their base for the coming season.
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Weather for Worksop
Monday 28 May 2012
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