Chairman's Blog - Sept 2018
RAYNES PARK VALE FOOTBALL CLUB
It may not be generally known that Raynes Park has its own football club, with a dedicated and well-maintained ground, complete with stands. This is next to Prince George’s Playing Fields which itself regularly hosts football matches at the weekend.
On Saturday 11th August fans flocked to the ground to see the Club compete in the first Extra Preliminary Round of the FA Cup. This was against Lingfield. The score was 3 -0 in favour of Raynes Park. Many congratulations! They have now reached the Preliminary Round. The next step on the way to Wembley, as I write, is their match against Peacehaven on Saturday 25th August. Fingers crossed!
AFC WIMBLEDON
While I am writing about football, who can forget when Wimbledon FC won the FA Cup in 1988? After that, the team was “franchised” up to Milton Keynes, and out of the ashes AFC Wimbledon was re-born, entirely created by fans. This must be one of the most extraordinary and heartwarming stories ever of local endeavour.
The Club has been promoted many times and has managed to retain its place in the First Division of the Football League. I saw them play Coventry in their first home fixture of the season, and the team looks good. They aim to move back to Plough Lane next season, and the ground has already been cleared of the former Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium. The new stadium will seat 11,000 in the first instance. The site will also eventually have 604 new homes and retail space.
EASTERN ELECTRICS FESTIVAL
A music festival held in Morden Park over the weekend of 4 and 5 August was so loud that residents as far away as this area were prevented from enjoying their leisure time due to the loud volume of the music. The Wimbledon Guardian reported that a resident of Raynes Park said that a relaxing weekend in his garden was spoilt by a “thumping bass” that went on until 10 pm on both days.
The event was authorized by Merton Council and it apparently complied with all the required conditions.
It looks as if this is an annual event. Morden Park is in an area surrounded by residential housing. The Council should require in future that the sound levels are moderated, and that the event finishes earlier in the evening.
THE JUNCTION TAVERN IN RAYNES PARK
Older residents will remember when the Junction Tavern, near the station in Kingston Road, was a pub. When the pub closed, it was turned for a while into The Railhouse, but that venture ceased in 2011. Since then, there have been planning applications to turn the site into a hotel, but these have not been implemented.
Now a planning application has been lodged to build nine flats there, but preserving the lower section of the building, which has architectural features that are worthy of retention.
HARRIS ACADEMY WIMBLEDON
The new Harris Academy Wimbledon will open its doors this September at its temporary site in Whatley Avenue, off Martin Way. This is to cope with the extra 260 children who left primary school in Merton this year.
The permanent home for the School will be a new school building in High Path in South Wimbledon. This is due for completion by September 2020.
John Elvidge
