WE WILL OPPOSE FERRIBY PLANS
CRUNCH time is approaching for North Ferriby United as applications filed by owner Carl Chadwick to both rename and relocate the club are likely to be considered in the next few weeks.
The proposals have sparked a wave of protests from Villagers’ fans, with a petition against the plans gaining almost 10,0000 signatures.
Chadwick has formally lodged a proposal with the Football Association to change the 2015 FA Trophy winners’ name to East Hull FC for next season, while a plan to relocate from its Grange Lane home to Dunswell Park on the northern edge of Hull is also being considered.
Matthew Kempson, who contributes to the club’s fanzine and has played a leading role in the supporters’ campaign, told The
NLP: “We are approaching a very important time when decisions will start being made.
“It is frustrating because the season started with a lot of promise following a change in ownership over the summer.
“Last year there was plenty of talk of relocation under the previous owner Jamie Waltham, but there was a wave of optimism when Carl Chadwick took over during the summer. “Unfortunately, it seems as though Waltham is still pulling the strings behind the scenes and a lot of what Chadwick told us was simply lies. “The deadline to submit information to the FA was on Friday and we have pulled together plenty of material, which will hopefully demonstrate the detrimental effects of the proposals.” While this season has represented yet another difficult period for Ferriby supporters – who in the space of two years have seen their side plummet from the National League to the bottom of the Northern Premier League – Kempson believes that the current campaign has strengthened a sense of unity within the fan base. He added: “When your backs are against the wall, it helps you to work together for a common cause. It has been brilliant to see how the fans, politicians and local residents have come out to support the campaign. “We have also had a lot of interest from the wider footballing community. I think a lot of people remember North Ferriby from our FA Trophy win in 2015 and perhaps have a bit of a soft spot for the club. “What Chadwick is trying to do is steal the club and take it away from the local community. It is identity theft of a great community club, which was started in 1934 by local residents and has a proud history.”