Conservation Matters Jim Gowans
THE SPORTS SECTION
It’ s not the winning...
Skip Kelly, once intrepid coach of Montpelier Villa Women is now a proud father- and reminiscing about his time in the dug-out
Apologies for the hiatus but a couple of things have happened. I am now the proud father of a baby girl and for the first time in five and a half years I am no longer the coach of Montpelier Villa.
Surprisingly in the course of my paternity leave, I had some free time. Keen to relive my youth, I downloaded Football Manager 24 but I felt the game left a lot to be desired if my experience of actual football management was anything to go by.
Montpelier Villa’ s measure of success and certainly mine had always been the FA Cup. This season, a penalty shootout win and a 96th minute winner secured our place in the third qualifying round and on the shortlist for best drama at the Academy Awards.
We were drawn away to Chesham United who plied their trade two divisions higher than us. Any objective observer knew we had a difficult task in front of us which was not lost on our players. A suggestion in our WhatsApp group was to‘ park the bus’ and hope we win on penalties.
I didn’ t change my tactics, I didn’ t promote players from the youth, I didn’ t press a button to“ praise” or“ criticise” a player or anything else you can do in Football Manager. I watched the 1993 film Cool Runnings and, taking impetus from that, decided to give each of the players an egg.
The training session before the match wasn’ t filled with complex tactical instructions but my review of the film which was: I don’ t need the team to win, I’ ve never needed the team to win but simply for them to believe it’ s possible.
On the day of the game each of our players arrived at a changing room that had been decked out with framed photos from previous exploits of ours and in the centre of the changing room was a table with three boxes of eggs that had their names and numbers scratched on hastily with a whiteboard pen. The work of a madman or next-level distraction techniques for the task ahead?
The hosts went ahead after 11 minutes suggesting it was the former but in a shock to everyone but me we equalised four minutes later. The half-time score was 2-1 to the hosts but the atmosphere in our changing room was a stark contrast to when the draw was first made. No-one wanted to park the bus now and everyone felt that it was possible. I spoke to my assistant as we left the changing room and said whatever happens in the second half I was going to be happy.
The game ended in defeat but much like the Jamaican bobsleigh team, they didn’ t need to win. They never did in my eyes.
My five years at Villa could never be replicated by a video game. The team featured prominently in my stag do. I gave a teamtalk to them as part of my wedding speech and they were among the first people I told that I was going to be a Dad. I gave so much of myself which was always an attempt to gain a competitive edge through emotional manipulation. But it pales into comparison to what the players gave me; a front row seat to seeing individuals exceeding their own expectations, an insight into the sacrifices required for a team to be successful, being there on some of the best days on a football pitch and, yes, being the one responsible for some of the worst has its own humbling quality.
I have always believed football particularly at grassroots level has very little to do with what happens on the pitch. It’ s far more important that people enjoy this game as it was intended and have friends and experiences that last far more than 90 minutes.
The players have also been the cause of untold stress that I believe are the cause of my first grey hairs, sleepless nights and the most surprising problems imaginable.
Happily all of this is at an end and I can focus on raising a child. That’ s got to be easier, right?
Conservation Matters Jim Gowans
The Conservation Advisory Group( CAG) which advises the Council on development which affects heritage assets such as listed buildings and conservation areas, has welcomed two new members. Dr Sue Berry, the local lecturer and researcher who wrote“ Georgian Brighton”, now represents the Georgian Group and Alasdair Glass, formerly project director with English Heritage, is the representative of the Regency Society. Professional qualification is not a prerequisite for CAG membership, but it is useful to have expert knowledge blended with the opinions of other members who draw on their experience as local residents.
The current joint chairmen of the CAG( a retired solicitor and a former teacher) meet the Council’ s“ Team Leader Heritage and Projects” four times a year and from time to time hold meetings with the Council’ s Head of Planning and the chair of the Council’ s Planning Committee; this is in addition to sending the Council the outcomes( advice) from the CAG’ s monthly meetings.
West Hill residents who have an interest in their conservation area and heritage buildings are always welcome to observe the CAG meetings and can contact Jim Gowans via the Whistler.
The CAG does not always share the view of the Council’ s heritage officers. In the case of proposed handrails on the steps of a property in Leopold Road the CAG recommended that a different approach be adopted to the one in the application which was approved by planning officers with the support of the Council’ s heritage officers. An extract from the CAG submission is here. CAG comments are, by the way, posted on the Council’ s website.
It would be preferable to fix the railings to the inner flank of the masonry walls on the steps rather than inserting the uprights into the treads of the steps.
It would be better to exactly match the style and position of the existing handrail of the next-door property. The handrail would consequently be less obtrusive, and in addition, some symmetry would be achieved.
There are no other handrails on entrance steps at ground floor level in Leopold Road which are wrought iron. The proposed railings at no 2 are therefore not in keeping with the other properties where the entrance steps either have cast iron railings with no walls( no3) or walls( as at no4 and no5), with no handrails at all.
While this proposal is a relatively smallscale affair, the cumulative effect of small developments can have a seriously detrimental effect on the character of a property, of a street and of a wider area; that is why, in addition to the standard development restrictions for conservation areas, West Hill has been further protected by what is called an Article 4 Direction.
This means that owners cannot( since 2002) alter, for example, windows and doors, roof coverings or chimney stacks or add roof lights without first obtaining planning permission. Permission is also required to demolish, alter or erect a front boundary wall, fence or railings. Further measures were introduced in 2010 to protect the appearance of the conservation area when estate agents’ boards were no longer permitted in front of residential properties.