Hethersett Athletic

There was an attendance of 50 including officers from Hethersett Athletic and three representatives from Easton College. A total of 40 club members were entitled to vote.

Chairman Peter Steward welcomed those present and outlined the format for the evening. Prior to those club secretary Mel Perkins registered members.

Ray Milne began the evening by outlining the limitations of existing facilities in the village with particular reference to the poor state of the changing facilities on the Memorial Playing Field. He illustrated this with slides which he compared and contrasted with slides from Easton College. Ray also played a video and explained about the clubs community charter status.

This was followed by a presentation by the Principal of Easton College – David Lawrence – who outlined the benefits to both organisations of a partnership. He was supported by the college’s Head of Sport, Richard Burley and organiser of the football programme Daniel Connelly.

David outlined the history of Easton as an agriculture and horticulture college and their diversification into sport and the setting up of the football programme. The college has 500 full time students of which about 100 are residential. In total 4,000 people study there and there is a staff of 250. The college has 560 acres of land and a turnover of £7 million.

He added that a partnership would attract substantial sums of money which could be used by both groups. Plans included providing two full size pitches, a floodlit all weather training pitch and a changing block. Easton was aiming to be recognised as a college of excellence in sport.

Richard reported that the potential at the college was “huge” with 134 students on the sports programme this year. The college had been looking for a partnership club with the right reputation and he felt Hethersett filled this bill.

Ray Milne and Mark Kerr outlined the reasons they felt the club should enter into a partnership and the grants that this could attract.

It was stressed that facilities at Easton would be available to all teams run by the club and that there are no plans to move out of the village or change the club’s name.

There followed over an hour of questions and comments from the floor which included a discussion on the club’s present poor facilities, the cost of any partnership and a host of other matters and concerns which were answered by the representatives of Easton College and officers from the football club. Easton College said that they would play no part in team selection.

At the end of the discussion the following was proposed by Mark Kerr and seconded by Richard Gambling:

“Hethersett Athletic agrees to enter into negotiations with Easton College on a partnership that will be mutually beneficial to both parties.”

Mel Perkins explained the voting procedure and the chairman explained that a vote was only being taken on whether to agree in principle to a partnership. The matter would then go back to the club committee ahead of a meeting between Easton College and club officials to sort out the details of an agreement which would then return to the committee and which would have to be ratified by a further extraordinary general meeting in the future.

There were 38 votes for the motion, no abstentions and none against. The motion was therefore carried.

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