Joint Press Release Commented.
The joint press release is full of buzzwords: ‘flagship’, ‘inclusive’, ‘bright future’. It dresses their plan up as a community win.
But look closer: it hides a football academy takeover while ousting current users and beneficiaries.
We’ve laid their words side by side with the reality.
“Buckinghamshire Council and Wycombe Wanderers Football Club have announced a new partnership that will secure the long-term future of the Farnham Park Playing Fields and South Buckinghamshire Golf Course in Farnham Royal as a flagship sporting hub for the community.”
“Secure the long-term future” is feel-good language, in practice it means handing charity land to a private football club.
“Flagship sporting hub” disguises the dismantling of a public golf facility in favour of a professional academy.
The word “community” is used, yet the main beneficiary is Wycombe Wanderers FC.
“Buckinghamshire Council Leader, Steven Broadbent, and Peter Brazier, Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, have confirmed that the well-established Wycombe Wanderers Football Club will become the new leaseholder for Farnham Park, taking on overall responsibility for operating and managing the sites and invest in enhancing and modernising the facilities.”
The Council, as trustee, is giving leaseholder control to its own partner — a conflict of interest.
“Enhancing and modernising” is left vague: does this mean real community facilities or simply fenced-off private academy infrastructure?
The shift moves responsibility and control away from the Charity’s legal purpose.
“This partnership will build on the successful existing arrangement with BaseballSoftballUK, who have developed their national baseball and softball complex at Farnham Park, and the other sports tenants on site.”
The comparison with BaseballSoftballUK is misleading: their development was not on the charity’s golf land.
Plus it may also have been dressed as community benefit in front of the Charity Commission, while it was not, in terms of the Charity deeds.
Far from “building on” existing sport, this plan would cut golf space down.
Councillor Brazier said: “I am delighted to announce that Wycombe Wanderers Football Club will be the new head leaseholder for these key sites, which are protected for sport and physical activity.”
“Protected for sport” is true, but the Charity Deed requires open public use — not private academies.
His “delight” ignores that two golf clubs and hundreds of golfers risk being displaced.
“Their vision and commitment to a multi-sports hub with modern, inclusive facilities will significantly increase opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds across the community to play sport and be active.”
“Inclusive” clashes with academy privacy needs.
“Increase opportunities” is questionable when Stoke Poges already has an abundance of football pitches, while the only public golf course would shrink.
Diversity is lost, not gained.
“Their proposals for the site are subject to planning permission and consultation and engagement with existing tenants and local residents, but this is a very exciting step forward and promises a very bright future for the much-loved playing fields and golf course.”
Consultation is mentioned only after the deal is struck.
“Bright future” for golf is hollow — the proposal explicitly reduces it.
Planning hurdles (Green Belt, Neighbourhood Plan, Charity law) are far from trivial.
“Wycombe Wanderers will work with the existing tenants and users on site to develop detailed plans for new facilities at the sites, with a focus on increasing access to sport and the diversity of activities on offer.”
Talk of “working with tenants” assumes harmony, but users risk losing priority or viability.
“Diversity of activities” contradicts reality: golf land would be converted to more football, which reduces sporting diversity.
“Subject to planning approvals, their proposals include the creation of a new artificial playing pitch for community use at the playing fields, plus a football training centre and academy at the northern side of the existing 18-hole golf course, where they will support grass roots programmes and initiatives with a bespoke community offer.”
An artificial pitch could help — but in this case it simply serves as a fig leaf and distractor from the academy plans.
Building an academy on golf course land directly breaches the Charity’s intent.
No mention of dismantling a public facility for a private or mostly private training academy.
“Bespoke community offer” is sales talk — no details on costs, access or booking.
“The golf course could then be modernised to a 9- or 12-hole layout to make it more flexible, accessible and appealing to a wider audience.”
This is not “modernisation” but downgrading.
An 18-hole course is the global standard; cutting it to 9 or 12 holes likely collapses both golf clubs.
Anyone can play 9 or 12 holes on an 18 hole course, if they desire so.
No study has shown the demand is higher for 9 or 12 holes than for 18 holes. The opposite is true, the vast majority of bookings at the public course are for 18 hole rounds.
Dan Rice, WWFC Chairman: “We are committed to a long-term partnership that enhances and future-proofs the recreational and sporting value of South Buckinghamshire Golf Course and Farnham Park.”
Calling it “future-proofing” is ironic while ripping out half the golf course.
WWFC’s experience is in football, not managing golf or multi-sport community sites.
“Our vision is founded on three key pillars: community access, sporting excellence, and environmental sustainability. From improving grassroots and multi-sport infrastructure to developing a state-of-the-art academy and training centre, we aim to create a lasting legacy that benefits both current users and future generations.”
“Community access” collides with exclusive academy needs.
“Sporting excellence” is about WWFC’s ambitions, not community gaps.
“Environmental sustainability” is questionable when artificial turf, domes, and traffic increases are in play.
“We are dedicated to working openly and collaboratively with the Council, existing user groups, and the wider community to ensure that the site remains inclusive, accessible, and enriched by new investment. This is about safeguarding public use while unlocking new opportunities, participation, and activity for all."
Nice words — but the deal was cut before community consultation.
“Safeguarding public use” rings hollow when golf, the only current full-community sport here, is being cut back.
“The sites will remain open as usual for users throughout the design and planning process, with Wycombe Wanderers committing to a phased programme of investment over the next five years to enhance and upgrade the existing facilities during this time.”
“Remain open” is only temporary — once building starts, golf will shrink.
Five years of phased works create prolonged uncertainty for clubs and users.
Unstable transition periods rarely “enhance” community trust.
This site already has more than enough football. The new plan just piles on more — while pushing golf aside. And yet golf is the more inclusive sport by a country mile: any age, any group size, even alone, affordable, safe, and self-levelling for skill. Football can never match that.