"It could be such a great asset for the area" - Group outlines their vision for community trust to run The Shay

A member of the group hoping to secure the future of The Shay says a community trust is the best option to run the stadium.

Keith Butterick, 69, is a lifelong Halifax Town fan and was a member of the Shay Stadium Trust, a not-for-profit organisation that ran the ground more than a decade ago.

As exclusively revealed by the Halifax Courier last month, a group of six individuals have drawn up plans for The Shay to be operated under a not-for-profit model.

And Keith believes returning to that model would mean improvements could be made to the stadium and allow it to be used as a community asset.

"I'm an optimist by nature, despite being a Halifax Town fan!," he said.

"The clubs have to work together and I think the most optimistic outcome is some form of community involvement in some form of trust.

"I am positive about the outcome of The Shay. It could be such a great asset for the area.

"We've got ideas about using it as a centre for sport, centre for community, centre for health.

"What the Panthers do on their community side and with their women's team is absolutely brilliant and that could be the focus of what we could do down The Shay.

"It could be very exciting.

"There is the opportunity for significant development.

"With the old Shay Stadium Trust, we worked with developers in the north, we held a public exhibition.

"We're aware of the issues around the pitch and that the floodlights need upgrading, but it all needs investment and the best means of doing that is through a not-for-profit organisation that puts the money back into the stadium, and it's all run transparently for the community.

"I think that's what will emerge."

On how the working party that drew up the plans came together, Keith said: "I got a call from Gavin (Butler), who I've known for a long time, to say there's a small working party that's got together to consider the future of The Shay.

"We kicked ideas around for a couple of months based on the original Shay Stadium Trust, of which I was deputy chair at one point.

"A lot of prepatory work had been done and the working group were all united in wanting it to be not-for-profit and that any money made goes back into the stadium and the facilities.

"We threw around a few ideas, everyone did a lot of research, and we put together a comprehensive document and began to approah local politicians informally and asked them if the council would be interested.

"So meeting were set up with Ian Day and Sarah Richardson, and they've been absolutely brilliant.

"We've been given access to the same things as the other parties and you can see how much the council has been subsidising The Shay.

"And it's clear that there are significant financial pressures associated with the stadium, and any accusations the council hasn't been doing right by The Shay or the two clubs are very wide of the mark.

"The figures are huge in terms of what the council spends directly and indirectly on The Shay.

"We've spoken to people at Bury, who are trying to get a community stadium going, and their running costs are quite similar to The Shay.

"We're under no illusions that it will be very, very difficult.

"The council have been very fair and honest, and they're treating us as seriusly as they're treating other parties.

"But this is a working party, and some members have made it clear that should this become the party that runs The Shay, it's not likely that all of us will become directors.

"What we would then need is a wider representation from the community, but it might not even be in our hands who that is.

"This is simply a working party to get to the point where the council will consider the proposals on offer."

The Shay is shared between FC Halifax Town and Halifax Panthers, and Keith believes an independent trust would be the most effective way of ensuring both clubs continued to play there.

"The best means by which the two can work together is through a trust," he said.

"The old Shay Stadium Trust ran The Shay for a few years and met the costs successfully.

"The only reason the trust surrendered the lease to the council was because they said they would complete the East Stand, which they did.

"Because we had five independent directors, any disagreements were resolved, mostly, amicably.

"The recognise there are issues between the two clubs, therefore a trust is the best means by which they will work together.

"And the council must still have a role in that."

Keith admits the make-up of the working party conists primarily of FC Halifax Town fans, but is open to Panthers supporters comin on board.

"We do recognise that this is an area we are the weakest on," he said.

"We want to be inclusive, it's got to work for both parties.

"There is the opportunity to have a community run stadium that does work for both clubs.

"I've met Damian Clayton (Halifax Panthers CEO) and had a very honest conversation with him, I like and respect him.

"What I'd say to any Panthers fans is contact us and engage with us if they want to be part of it.

"We understand the perception might be that it's being dominated by the football club.

"But it has to work for everybody.

"We are looking at ways to get key people from the Panthers involved.

"We feel the best way for the two clubs to work together is through a community trust, where they both get the opportunity to be involved and a governance they can engage with and trust."

When asked about rumours that someone connected with the Panthers might be launching a bid to buy The Shay, Keith said: "We haven't heard anything about that.

"To be honest, I wouldn't expect the council to sell the ground based on the conversations I've had.

"There is the desire to maintain The Shay as a community asset.

"Someone would need very deep pockets to buy The Shay.

"There was an offer on the table from ASDA to buy The Shay for £8m around 20 years ago, which luckily was seen off.

"From what we've been told, there is no desire or intention from the council to sell The Shay.

"They want to keep it as a place for community sport."

Keith says the future of The Shay could well be decided within the next three or four months.

"I think the crunch time will be March or April," he said.

"We've been invited to submit our proposals to cabinet, as have the other two parties.

"We're working on revised proposals, so we anticipate an outcome might be in March or April."

The second part of our interview with Keith, featuring questions from Halifax Courier readers, will be online tomorrow.