‘Social capital of Hallen FC outweighs costs’

The local sporting community is rallying behind Hallen AFC who allege they are being evicted by Almondsbury Parish Council. Neil Maggs explains why the club’s social capital outweighs the cost of the rent of ground.

Following a public statement from western league football club side Hallen AFC that they are being evicted from their ground by Almondsbury Parish Council, the football community of Bristol and beyond has been getting behind the campaign to save the club.

Throughout yesterday social media was buzzing about the news that the club that has been at it’s Moorhouse Lane Ground for 40 years will, as of the end of May, be effectively homeless.

A statement on the club website reads: “It is with deepest regret that as of 31st of May Hallen Football Club are to be evicted by Almondsbury Parish Council from our Moorhouse Lane ground, and therefore with no playing facilities we have no option other than to fold. 

“The decision by Almondsbury Parish Council to close the Hallen Centre will not only affect our First Team, playing in the Toolstation Premier Division and our reserves, it will also mean the end of our thriving Hallen Juniors.

“During our 40 years at Moorhouse Lane the ground has been turned from a ploughed field to a Southern League standard football ground. This has only happened through the love and dedication of a very small committee for the enjoyment of so many.

“To see this taken away by Almondsbury Parish Council citing financial reasons when they have £1.8million in the bank, and have just spent £1000s on a high profile solicitor to eject Hallen FC is very hard to take.”

Former Bristol City player Scott Murray, ex-Rovers and Liverpool defender Nicky Tanner, and Bristol Rovers Tannoy announcer Nick Day, have all announced their backing for the grassroots club on social media.

Later in the day the story was gathering momentum nationally with lobbying group SaveGrassRootsFooty, Crystal Palace Premier League striker Yanick Bolasie and Talk Sport presenters Tony Incenzo and Bobby Gould throwing their weight behind the campaign.

An online petition was launched and local football clubs such as Bath City, Taunton, Cadbury Heath, Old Georgians, Bristol Manor Farm, Almondsbury UWE,, Cribbs FC, Radstock Town and many more have signed and expressed their support for keeping the club at their ground. 

Lee Fairman has two sons that  play for the junior section of the club and described the parish council’s decision as “absolutely preposterous” and went on to say that “the club had tried every avenue to reach a compromise position”.

He described the council as being “obstructive” and “evasive”.

He said Hallen AFC were offered the chance to take on the running bills and cost of the facility at £20,000 a year. This is a sum that Lee made clear that is both unrealistic and unaffordable for a club run by volunteers.  

The club has a wider remit than football, however, and not only has a thriving cricket section but a village hall that is accessed regularly by local residents for a range of activities.

He informed me that it has recently come to light that there are two unnamed private sport firms,  interested in acquiring the land.  

Lee fears that a valuable community asset will be taken away from them. This ill feeling was loudly expressed yesterday at 5.30pm where an informal public meeting was arranged and 300 local residents, club members, parents, and young people were in attendance. 

It’s rare to find a sports club that has a complete pathway from grassroots to semi-professional, but AFC Hallen is one of those clubs.

Not only is the club fully embedded within the community, it offers opportunities for all ages to participate.

Many of the current and former players have come through this system, and they are concerned about the future of the club.

Ciaran Greening, a Hallen resident and current first team player, made his position on this clear. “Having grown up in Hallen my entire life and coming to this club every weekend since I was born it’s a very sad and heartbreaking situation to see my club be closed down.

“Given three generations of my family have worked or played for this club, for us to be kept in the dark is not acceptable.’

The frustration and disappointment was evident in former first team club captain Paul Owen who has played for the club for the last 22 years and now serves on the committee.

He said “To have all the hard work put in over the years taken away in such a manner is unbelievable. I am absolutely gutted.”

Another former player, Anthony Green, pleaded for Almondsbury Parish Council to see the wider context of the club, stating: “It is the focal point of the local community and gives back more to Bristol and the area than can be measured by money alone.

“It has a unique approach to developing young kids right through to the adult first team. I’d urge the parish council to come down here to understand that this issue is more than just about rental income.”

There are always two sides to every story and I was keen to see the parish council’s view on all this. 

Now, up until late last night there had been no response – until they released this official statement. 

Their position was made clear: ”This situation is not quite as it seems from the statement recently released by Hallen Football Club.

“Almondsbury Parish Council has always supported the Hallen Centre financially, particularly during the last 12 months while both parties endeavoured to find a viable solution to the financial problems of which Hallen Football Club have been aware for many years.

“Unfortunately a solution has not proved possible and Hallen Football Club are unable to sign any agreement or to pay an economic rent on the premises. The Club are not being evicted.

“Financial support has been provided for many years by the parish council and our responsibility to the residents of the rest of the parish must be considered.”

This story looks likely to rumble on, and whichever position is true, there is one thing that is certain. 

Sport England, the FA and The Football Foundation plough million of pounds nationally into setting up schemes to getting people active, tackling obesity, creating healthy lifestyles, and fostering community cohesion through the medium of sport.

Governments and local councils have public health and community safety high up their agenda and are well aware of the impact of community sport and the dangers of inactivity in its cost to local services, the NHS and policing.. 

Here is a football club that is thriving and it’s clear that the social capital of Hallen AFC far outweighs the value of the rental cost.

This benefits all – the football club, the community, and indeed the parish council.

In Bristol and beyond the football community will not go away quietly, and local residents, current and former players, both young and old, are desperate to keep the club alive. 

The national and local sport campaign has a strap-line about getting people active from the cradle to the grave, it’s branded as  Sport4Life – but it’s hard to play sport without somewhere to play.

If you want to sign the petition go to twitter #HelpsaveHallenfootballclub.

Sport development consultant Neil Maggs presents  Mid-week Sports Bar on BCfm and is director of Street2 Elite promoting grass roots sport.