Barkingside v Ilford: Football clubs row over stadium access

Jimmy Flanaghan accused Redbridge Council and Ilford FC of appearing to have made a secret deal for Ilford to run the stadium for the next 50 years.

Ilford is now seeking to almost double Barkingside’s rent, he said.

The formal decision over who will take over the stadium is not supposed to be made until tomorrow (Thursday, September 14) – but Mr Flanaghan said comments made by Ilford FC chairman Adam Peek suggested it was “a done deal”.

“It stinks of the decision already being made,” he said.

He said that if Ilford FC is allowed to proceed, Barkingside FC “will probably fold”.

Barkingside FC chairman Jimmy Flanaghan uploaded a video to the club's X (formerly Twitter) profile earlier this week, discussing his concerns over the club's future at Cricklefields Stadium (Image: Barkingside FC / X (Formerly Twitter))

Contract

Both clubs share the stadium in Ilford under a 2014 contract, supposed to last until 2031.

Ilford FC has permission from Redbridge Council to run the stadium. Barkingside makes quarterly rent payments to Ilford under the 2014 ground share agreement.

But Mr Peek claims Barkingside is not paying its fair share and that the 2014 agreement is faulty.

His club is now refusing to accept Barkingside FC’s rent payments or fixtures.

“We have correspondence from our lawyer that the original agreement was set up illegally and is one-sided in favour of the tenant, not us,” he claimed.

“If they think they have a legitimate agreement, we are more than happy for it to be taken to a court of law.”

Barkingside FC in action this season (Image: Tim Edwards)

Mixed messages

The row has broken out – including social media posts – just as Redbridge Council prepares to make a formal decision over whether to grant Ilford FC a 50-year lease on Cricklefields Stadium.

Councillors will be asked tomorrow evening for permission to “enter negotiations with Ilford Football Club” and “provided that these terms are considered acceptable, to grant a lease".

But Mr Flanaghan accused Mr Peek of acting as though the decision was already made.

Last month, Mr Peek wrote to Mr Flanaghan in an email: “We are scheduling our FA vase game on Sunday 24/9 under our license that we hold with Redbridge Council, so your game as per all others are not approved by us…

“We don’t deem your license valid any longer so we will not be accepting any money or fixtures from Barkingside FC.”

Ilford FC chairman Adam Peek claims the 2014 ground sharing contract between his club and Barkingside is unfair and unlawful (Image: Gavin Ellis/TGS)

Rent hike

“We haven’t got a problem whoever takes over, as long as existing users are still able to use the site at an affordable cost,” said Mr Flanaghan.

He said that Ilford is now trying to almost double the rent set out in the 2014 contract, seen by this paper, to “an initial cost of £12,000 per annum”.

Mr Peek said Ilford faced rising costs and only wanted Barkingside to pay “a reasonable rate”, whereas it currently pays “around 50 per cent of the market value”.

Redbridge Council is due to make a decision this week over whether Ilford FC should be given a 50-year lease for the Cricklefields Stadium (Image: Gavin Ellis/TGS)

“We offered to increase the cost gradually over two years,” he said.

“If other clubs found out what they are paying, we would have a queue wanting to use it."

“Legally binding”

Barkingside has refused to pay the higher rent, citing the existing contract.

Mr Flanaghan says the Football Association’s own legal firm, Muckle LLP, already investigated the 2014 contract during a different dispute with Ilford four years ago.

A solicitor at the FA’s legal firm wrote in 2019: “The ground share agreement dated 15 March 2014 is legally binding on both parties.”

Jimmy Flanaghan shared this 2019 email from Muckle LLP, the FA's solicitors, saying that the 2014 ground sharing contract was 'legally binding' (Image: Barkingside FC)They continued: “There is no ability for Ilford FC to terminate the agreement unless Barkingside breach the terms of the agreement and has not remedied it within 30 days.”

They added: “If Ilford force Barkingside off the site then they will have breached the agreement which will give Barkingside a claim for damages in court for any loss they suffer.”

Tomorrow’s cabinet meeting, where the decision over the lease is set to be made, will take place at 7.15pm at Redbridge Town Hall.

Redbridge Council was approached for comment.