Bees look forward

By Elliott Josypenko
January 20 2005

Members of Birmingham & Solihull RFC, parent club of National League One side Pertemps Bees, have backed the board to investigate potential new investment with a view to changing ownership of the club.

Around 80 members attended the informal meeting in the clubhouse at Sharmans Cross Road and unanimously approved a proposal for the board to investigate ways of raising funding to enable the club to employ full-time playing and support staff.

Steve Blundell, the club chairman, said: "We are delighted with the interest shown by the members in this issue and the support they have given us.

"We are delighted that they share our vision for the future of the club and the standard of rugby we hope to bring to Birmingham in the future. We must stress that, at this stage, there is no consortium or individual backer waiting in the wings.

"But we have had expressions of interest and the support of the members at this meeting has given us a mandate to follow up that initial interest.

"Any decision on a potential sale or change of ownership would have to be approved by the members at an extraordinary general meeting."

Among other issues discussed was the potential re-location of the senior side of the club to a new purpose-built stadium.

Preliminary discussions have taken place with Solihull MBC and Solihull College about the possibility of developing a new stadium adjacent to the Norman Green athletics track in central Solihull.

At the moment no firm plans have been drawn up and discussions between the parties are continuing.

Lawrence Grove, a nonexecutive director of the board, who chaired the meeting, assured members that Portway, the home of Solihull RFC and the mini and junior section, would remain an important part of the club's future plans wherever the senior side might re-locate.

Part of the proceeds of the sale of Sharmans Cross Road would be earmarked to turn Portway into a centre of excellence for youth rugby and as a training base for the first XV.

* Leicester Tigers prop Colin Noon has been suspended until September 25 for deliberately stamping on the head of Bees prop Matt Long .

Noon's appeal against a six-month suspension imposed in November was rejected by an RFU disciplinary panel at a hearing in Coventry. Noon was on loan at Rotherham Titans at the time of the incident.

Birmingham Evening Mail - www.icbirmingham.com