What a load of rubbish!

StadiumWatch, the independent user group monitoring the council run Lakeside Stadium facility is calling on the Borough's Number One Public Servant, Mayor Winter to issue fixed penalty notices on the SMC, the Stadium Management Company that he himself set up to run the complex.

While Winter talks of fining residents for allowing their bins to over-flow with rubbish, the SMC have been spouting rubbish by the lorry load.

StadiumWatch spokesman, Nigel Wroe, described how he asked the SMC to state their aims in a declaration of community service via a customer charter. "On 15th December last year I challenged Jeremy Milnes, the Commercial Director of the SMC to demonstrate that he understood the concept of community service, and to establish their aims via a customer charter".

"I heard nothing for two months until I asked the Mayor to "kick butt". His sidekick, Ian Spowart, who unsurprisingly landed the job as chairman of the SMC, jumped to attention and made me a number of promises. I heard nothing, I guess he binned my letters and the complaints I sent him from our members, perhaps he recycled them!"

Undaunted, Wroe then proceeded to fire a number of Freedom of Information requests at the SMC to establish exactly what their structure and financing basis is, especially what bonuses the SMC will be paying themselves.

"I get the impression that they think the Freedom of Information Act doesn't apply to them. In fact Spowart says there is no way we are going to find out. I have to tell him that hiding behind the cosy partnership with the Dearne Valley Leisure Trust, which has had nigh on a million pounds from the council simply won't work"

"Spowart is spouting rubbish, the Act follows the money, and if that money is public then we are going to lift the lid and have a close inspection. At the moment he is spinning a yarn about how hard they have been working getting 66,000 visitors through the turnstyles in January. I rubbished the very idea, trashing his figures when they didn't add up. Half of those visitors used pre-sold tickets or tickets sold by opposition clubs", said Wroe.

"Spowart told me the SMC understands its obligations to the public. That's more rubbish I'm afraid, StadiumWatch had to write their charter for them because they just didn't have a clue, especially the important clause is about honesty and openness".

"It's a bit rich being lectured to about obligations, what about accountability, and just what is the story about the Dearne Valley Leisure Trust and their secret partnership deal with the Council".

"So come on Winter, take a tip from me, it's time to send the rubbish police down Stadium Way and lift the lid on the SMC, surely they can't refuse to dish the dirt, give 'em the sack, and bin the whole sorry lot of them!"

Good riddance to bad rubbish?

Notes:

1. You can register with StadiumWatch at http://www.stadiumwatch.co.uk
2. High prices, poor service, broken promises, continued pettiness over use of the digital scoreboards, ticketing gaffes, double selling, heavy stewarding, heavy handed treatment of Rovers match officials and excessive secrecy in breach of FOI. The list continues.
3. Note 26 to the DVLT 2006 accounts state: "Stadium management fee £5,000 - Received from Lakeside Sports Complex LLP for general purposes".
4. Limited Liability Partnerships are a new form of legal entity created by the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2000. Put simply the partners agree in a confidential document their relative shares in contributions to assets in a winding up, and their participation in any profits. The disclosure requirements are less onerous than the more familiar limited company model. LLP's are registered at companies house, and are taxed in the same way as regular partnerships.
5. The DMBC and the DVLT are designated partners in the Lakeside Sports Complex LLP.
6. StadiumWatch resources are available from http://www.stadiumwatch.co.uk

SW 200702 PR004 - 10/02/2007 08:00 PDF Version

Disclaimer: The views expressed herein are those of StadiumWatch and in no way are represented to be associated with or by Doncaster Rovers FC, their officers or employees.

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