HOMELESS Horsham have accused their local council of leading them on and letting them down for a fifth time as their six-year quest to secure their new ground collapsed.
Horsham District Council pulled the plug on the Ryman South club's plans to build a new stadium in the south of the town this week – but they may now appeal the ruling.
The Hornets left Queen Street after over a century in 2008 and have battled political obstacles ever since. A positive outcome was expected for their planning application but councillors voted 13-9 in favour of refusing the Sussex club permission to build on the Worthing Road site.
Horsham chief executive John Lines hit out at the decision – and says the club could be victim of government game-playing.
He told The NLP: “It's all very raw at this moment but my overriding feeling is of sheer disappointment and distress at the way the meeting was dealt with.
“Many red herrings have been thrown for political purposes, without thought for the real people of the community. It's hard to take in. We have been led along this path for the past six years, and it's been scuppered by four votes. After this period of time and after all our hard work and industry that has gone into it, it's devastating.
“But we will fight again, we will find a way through. The council have missed a huge opportunity here to save Horsham Football Club. We will do whatever we can to get a new home.”
The Hornets will continue to share with Sussex County League neighbours Horsham YMCA for the time being but Lines says their future isn't at Gorings Mead.
“We have other avenues we must now explore,” he added. “We must survive, and if that means an appeal and we go again on this site, then that's what we will do. That's part of the potential hope but we will take some time to digest the outcome before acting.
“We are nomads. We play in a league which requires a ground grading D and there aren't many of those available on our doorstep. Horsham YMCA are essentially a youth set up, and I'm afraid two senior teams playing there forever isn't going to be practical.
“Where do we go now? Do we rely on Horsham District Council again? This is not the first time they have let us down, it's probably about the fifth time in truth.”
