To All Farnham Rugby Club Members

Dear Member

I am sorry to inform you that despite our best efforts the Government Office for the South East (GOSE) has called in the proposed move to Monkton Lane for a public enquiry. This is far from ideal and is something we have been trying to avoid but sadly it is now unavoidable. All parties, Waverley Borough Council, Stax Ltd and ourselves are bitterly disappointed by this decision but in great rugby tradition we must accept the referee's decision and get on with the rest of the game.

Although we have yet to ascertain the precise reasons for the call-in, Stax have stated their intention to proceed with the public enquiry and discussions will be taking place this week with WBC to determine how we can work together to get over this latest hurdle. For our part we have used the extensive media coverage we have received over the weekend to brief the press and hopefully in the next few weeks we will be able to raise the profile of our situation and in particular question why the Government is saying that it wants to put sport at the heart of the community but puts ever hurdle imaginable in the way of this being a reality.

At this point in time we don't know when the enquiry will take place but it is envisaged that it could be some 6 months before we get to the next stage. To say that this is frustrating is an understatement but we must maintain our spirit and resolve . In my opinion this is an issue that transcends local politics - frankly its about whether the provision of sporting facilities is more important to a community than mineral extraction or the preservation of an unused field with 2 horses on it.

Although I know this news is disappointing we must remember the dream is still alive. More importantly we must remember and reflect on what a great club we have. For me the weekend has only re-enforced this. The amount of effort that went into making the World Cup final weekend a success was extraordinary - it happened through people selflessly giving their time, resources and commitment to a common cause. In this respect I would like to thank Andrew Phillips for his huge contribution in bringing it all together but there are many many more who sponsored, helped, supported, enjoyed what was a great weekend. This is what we are all about, a love of the game and an appreciation of what it means to us personally and in terms of our community. I can't think of a greater accolade than when a visitor to the club came up to me on Saturday and said 'You can't put a price on what you have here, it is phenomenal'. High praise or just a statement of fact - for me its a statement of fact.

We will of course keep you fully informed as things progress but in the meantime keep the faith, enjoy the rugby and remember its not over until the referee blows the full-time whistle.

Kind regards

Geoff Robins
(Club Chairman)