Friends of the Shay

Aim

We are here to ensure that Calderdale Council's proposals to dispose of the Shay are legal and protect the Shay for future generations.

Who are we?

The Friends of The Shay is an independent group of volunteers who all have a deep connection to Halifax and its sporting heritage. We are solely focused on ensuring that Calderdale Council’s proposed disposal of the Shay Stadium is done in a fair, open and transparent way.

This campaign sets out our genuine concerns and beliefs based on information available to us. It is not a determination of any legal breach. We are seeking independent legal advice and will act lawfully at all times.

Why are we crowdfunding?

We are challenging Calderdale Council regarding their plans to dispose of the Shay. Despite detailed objections raised through multiple channels, the Council has not agreed to mediation nor committed to the in-depth reviews we have requested

We are now at a stage where our challenge requires paid for, specialist legal advice as we consider the steps needed to take this case to a Judicial Review, which isn't cheap...  We are able to fund initial legal work thanks to a sizeable donation. But to continue our campaign we now need your financial input to help cover continuing costs.

Importantly, we will keep costs to a minimum by supporting the work ourselves through undertaking detailed research and preparatory work ahead of, and in support of, any legal intervention.  

What are our concerns?

It is our strongly held belief, based on advice received to date, that;

• The Council may not have followed its own guidance on the decision-making process.
• We are concerned that strict legal requirements relating to the disposal of Open Space land may have been overlooked."
• There are reasonable grounds to question whether the correct valuation rules were applied.

The issues we are raising aren't optional steps and they play an important role in protecting community assets. If not applied correctly the risk is that the wrong decisions could be made and assets, like the Shay, are lost for future generations. 

These concerns are advanced in good faith and are the subject of ongoing professional legal assessment.

We know we aren't alone in being concerned about the current proposals. We conducted some quick surveys through our website and they told us that;

• over 80% people who voted would prefer that the stadium were owned by a community trust.
• that 9 out of 10 people believe that under the current proposals the Shay will cease to be used for sport in the near future

Why does the Shay matter?

The Council have owned the Shay Estate since 1889 and it is the sporting heartbeat of Calderdale, the one major professional sports venue in the borough. We accept in tough financial times that local authorities need to be prudent about how they manage community assets like the Shay. We believe that these considerations have to protect the long term future of those assets. 

In our view, freehold disposal to a private individual carries inherent risks to long-term community use, particularly when compared with protective models such as community or trust ownership.

How you can play your part

There are two simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.

1. Make a pledge. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because  momentum is key to our success in funding legal advice. All campaigning will be conducted lawfully and respectfully. 

2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.

Legal entity: We are a private limited company operating on a not for profit basis registered under the name The Shay Community Stadium Limited - comapany number 16438729.   The company has no political affiliations and its members are not employed by or directly connected to either FC Halifax Town or Halifax RLFC

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made