More Challenges For Thame From Annual Town Meeting (Includes town council’s precept, the fishing lake, Southern Road Rec, the museum funding and a motorcycle track)

THAME FOOTBALL PARTNERSHIP – HOPES AND ASPIRATIONS – The FA (Football Association) is currently working with the newly formed Thame Football Partnership, to help secure the future of homeless, Thame United, one of the oldest football clubs in Oxfordshire.
Speaking at the annual Thame Town Meeting on Tuesday(24/07), Nigel Hargreaves, the FA?s Head of Strategic Development, explained that Thame United lost its ground in July 2005 and now wants to work towards building a Community Football club and facilities modelled on those of other towns like Oxford City.
He emphasised that a priority of the Partnership would be to build links with youth projects in the town. Nigel explained that as well as the senior team having to play ?home? games at Wallingford, the Girls and Boys teams had to play at Lewknor.

THE ‘HEART BEAT OF ALL SPORTS’

The vision, he said, was for the football partnership to become not only the hub for football in the town, but ?the heartbeat of all sports,? along the Holland/Germany model where all the town?s sports are in one place.
?As well as being financially sustainable,? he said, ?the priority of the new facility must be relevant to the community and we would like Thame to think about what other facilities could be there so that we can create a vibrant facility for the town.?

Sharing the presentation with Nigel Hargreaves, Chairman of Thame United, Jake Collinge, explained that the partnership was looking for a 20 acre site on the edge of the town to build senior, junior and mini pitches (including a third generation all-weather pitch), lights, viewing areas and a community function room.

Cllr David Laver asked about the suitability of the all-weather pitch up at Lord Williams?s school to which Nigel Hargreaves replied that it was fine for Hockey but unsuitable for high friction sports like football.

A Concept Plan of the Church Farm Site was displayed and Jake explained that the town council was engaged in the project and that agreement in principle had been given by Oxfordshire County Council for the Partnership to acquire either the Freehold or the Leasehold of the site from the county council who own it and lease back part of it to the town council.