Totally agree, remember unlimited free parking, but of course the coffee shop is only a small piece of the jigsaw to utilise the Shay to it's full potential.

Comment, in a similar vein, on shaymen.net:

"There already is a cafe down there! The shay cafe and I don't see em queuing out of the door to get in !"

What you have to bear in mind, and the point that this gentleman is missing (or purposely ignoring), is that there will be over 300 people working in the complex who will need to eat, exercise and leave their kids. Pretty handy, I would say and all providing income to the complex. I particularly agree with the 7 days a week usage scenario as that is what is needed to make it a viable and lucrative business. I can also see people using the facilities and being drawn into the football and/or Rugby League culture thus increasing attendances.

Look, I'm born and bred in Halifax and, apart from 2 stints in London and 2 in Amsterdam, have lived here all my life and in all that time one of the things that has always p***ed me off is the town's lack of ambition. Everything done in Halifax is half-hearted and done on the cheap. We must be the only town of our size without a fully covered shopping centre, Woolshops is the best we can do. Even the Broad Street Complex took about 20 years from it's inception to completion and I shudder to think how much the cost went up in that time.

We now have Tony Abbott's vision for the future of the Shay. I must admit I was gobsmacked at his plans as they went much further than I was anticipating but I can see the sense in it as it involves the stadium being financed in the long term by the on-site businesses. Sure, there are risks as in any venture and there are still numerous questions need answering but if the FCHT fans would rather the stadium be sold to a property developer then so be it because I firmly believe that it is now only a matter of time before the council unload the Shay.

One thing I noticed last night was, when it came to "any questions", the football supporters asked at least 3 questions which TA had already answered in some detail which suggested to me that they had sat there eagerly waiting to ask their questions with their minds closed and already made up instead of affording him the courtesy of at least listening to what he had to say.

The question I kept asking myself that Tony refused to answer was where is the money coming from. Now I have that concern my self but that is really none of my business and is down to the parties involved in the sale. It is up to Calderdale council and their people to go through his business plan with a fine tooth comb and make sure it stands up. I have no right to know that but hopefully the people who do will suss it out right.

I do not wish to be rude, but, in my humble opinion and I stand to be corrected, the majority of posters on that forum have the mental dexterity of a pot of paint and I don't mean Dulux more pound stretchers own brand.

No disrespect intended.

Also, if I remember correctly, the Thrum Hall covenant was made by the original owners of the estate who left it in perpetuity to the Rugby, cricket and bowling clubs stating that it could only be used for sport. I don't know how they got around that to sell it to Asda but it is totally different to a long term lease.

I can't argue with that but I firmly believe that, difficult though it is, we should all maintain our dignity and not be dragged down to their level ( which Aldous Huxley would probably grade as Epsilon Minus ).

Staff who work at the Shay using the Coffee Shop!! Yes didn't think - oops!

So yes the coffee shop could be a success too!

Which we weren't and won't

Are these guys for real? Ive read the report and all it states is what actually happened.

Not to mention about some on that forum say he plans to get rid of the 5 aside pitch. Did they even listen to what he said? Like I say, its like I went to a totally different meeting.

Maybe we should start a petition from tax payers to get the Shay sold. Im sure we could get a lot more names down to sell it than anyone could to keep it council run.

Bubba and his set of clowns dont care what Tony or anybody says. They dont want the sell of the Shay no matter what. This blind stupid reasoning makes them miss all the points Tony has made and how he has looked to inform everybody about things. Its people like Bubba and his crew with their neanderthal attitude to anything which might upset their dreamworld that has seen Halifax end up being a backwater town for such things as Shopping, Modern Sport Facilities, Entertainment etc.

Can the Council Guarentee that they will never sell The Shay? Can the Council guarentee to upgrade The Shay like the Skircoat Stand which is a relic and needs redeveloping ASAP? The Bubba Clueless gang seem to think the Shay should be kept in Council hands no matter what the cost. The Council does not have to waste public money on the upkeep of a Sports Stadium that less than 2000 locals usemost weeks. And why should the Council make cuts on such things as Social Services and Schools whilst throwing away hundreds of thousands of pounds on a Stadium that is useed by so few people? From what I have heard and seen I am happy for Tony to take over the Shay. Its up to him and the Council to make sure the risks are as low as possible and to put in place as many safeguards as needed to make sure that Fax and Football lot play there now and in the future.

Weigh Anchor, Splice the Mainbrace, Hoist the Sails, Steady as She goes, Hold your Nerve Chaps, this storm will pass.

A Noisy Luddite Minority should not dictate to a Metropolitan Borough, nobody is being evicted or ripped off, stay on course Tony, you have the backing of a majority of reasoned tax paying Adults.

Councils should not be spending money on Professional Sports, its value as a Stadium is only relevant to the market and not defined by how much money has been spent or wasted on various attempts to finish it, which is still not complete in my eyes.

Would you trust somebody who runs a payday loan company?
I certainly wouldn't.