City of London Football Club Chairman Warns of Potential Closure Amid Development Plans

The chairman of City of London Football Club issued a warning that the organization “will probably have to downsize, or sadly the club will have to fold.” Eamon Gately stated that proposals for developing Finsbury Leisure Centre are “not viable for the community.” Islington Council’s plans involve constructing 198 homes on the site. If approved, these plans would result in four football pitches being reduced in size and relocated to the rooftop of a new leisure facility. The council affirmed that it had “carefully considered” the arrangement of the proposed structures to minimize any adverse effects on neighboring properties. However, Mr. Gately informed BBC London that the project “will have a massive impact on the football club.” He elaborated, stating, “Their proposal is for two to three year project to build the building.” Gately added that the developers “have no idea where they’re going to put these kids in between that.” He reiterated his concern, emphasizing, “We will probably have to downsize, or sadly the club will have to fold.” Gately questioned the consequences for the young players, asserting, “Where do these kids go? They will join a different gang. They won’t be a football gang anymore, it’ll be a street gang.” On Wednesday, Les Ferdinand, a former player and current football coach, visited the club to demonstrate his support. He remarked, “I know what this means to the community and other communities like it.” Ferdinand acknowledged the broader need, stating, “I understand that we do need social housing, we do need more housing.” Nevertheless, he also raised a point about the increased population, asking, “But at the same time you bring another 100 families, how many more kids are you going to have?” He concluded with a hope that “Hopefully the council will listen.” Eva Guerra, from EC1VOICES, a campaign group dedicated to preserving the pitches, commented, “I think that there is a real division what the council thinks the community needs, versus what the community and people living in this area think and know they need.” She stressed the collective objective, saying, “We’re all unified under the need for this space to be protected.” Guerra described the location as “so special. It’s a rare oasis of greenery in an otherwise very densely populated area of the country.” She further noted, “It is about a space for kids and young people – there is something really unique that passes here.” A spokesperson for Islington Council responded, stating, “The new 5/6-a-side rooftop football pitches will be high-quality, built to FA standard specifications, and include a spectator area.” The spokesperson also detailed that, “Subject to planning permission, this project will deliver 100 new council homes, 98 homes for sale to help pay for them, an NHS GP medical centre and new leisure facilities. Residents are strongly encouraged to submit their comments on the planning application on the Islington Council website.”