Nuns could face action
SAFETY officials have recommended that action is taken against Nuneaton Rugby Club over their actions during the recent groundshare row.
A number of skips were dumped outside the entrance to Nuneaton Town Football Club’s stadium as part of an ongoing feud between the two clubs relating to the use of the pitch at the Coombe Abbey Arena.
An emergency meeting of a regional Safety Advisory Group (SAG), which comprises the police, fire service, ambulance service and council, was held at the Liberty Way ground last week.
Following the meeting, a letter was sent from the SAG to the football and rugby clubs.
It said: “The purpose of this letter is to express, formally, the SAGs concern regarding recent developments on the rugby club site, which effectively permanently block the established football club emergency exits,
“The SAG also has concerns around the obstruction of entrance/exit turnstiles, traffic routes and the increasing restrictions the rugby club are placing on the reasonable safety operations of the football club.
“I must stress that the SAG are not interested with the dispute between the clubs, or the associated legal positions etc - its focus is firmly around the safe operation of both the football and rugby club.”
The disagreement is over the use of the pitch after the rugby club sold the ground to the football club in 2006 on the basis of a ground sharing agreement, which it now believes is not being honoured.
Nuneaton Town FC has said it made an offer of the same terms as the previous ground share agreement that was in place from 2009 to 2015, however the rugby club claimed on Friday that the stadium owners were ‘refusing to discuss a groundshare agreement’.
Five skips are now at the ground, which the rugby club has taken full responsibility for, saying it was ‘forced to take steps to restrict access across its land’.
Since being dumped, one of the skips has been graffitied.
Despite the presence of the skips, blocking the football club’s entrances, their game against Guiseley went ahead on Saturday.
Following the win, the rugby club posted a statement on its website on Sunday congratulating the club.
It said: “Nuneaton Rugby Club congratulates Nuneaton Town FC on their victory yesterday. As we have made clear we have no dispute with the football team and wish them well.
“We are pleased that the stadium owners have now stated that they are prepared to meet with us next week.
As we have previously commented we want to sit down with them and agree a fair deal which can include Nuneaton Rugby Club using the stadium pitch and access for the stadium across Nuneaton Rugby Club land.”
Negotiations are understood to be ongoing between the club to reach an agreement on terms of a ground share agreement.
The SAG has asked both clubs to formally reply in writing to the letter it sent by tomorrow (Thursday, Jan 19) to acknowledge they received and to inform them of how they will follow the advice given.
In the letter, the group added: “Whilst the SAG has and will continue to support both clubs to ensure spectator safety, the SAG’s duty is all encompassing and it must act where it has safety concerns and it is for that reason we have recommended statutory agencies review the current legal position and act appropriately.
“The SAG would prefer to resolve this without formal escalation, however, the concerns are significant and whilst we continue to wish to work with and support you, we have had to recommend formal action against the rugby club.”