The Gaming International Files

N Somerset Observer · Post by **N Somerset Observer** » 25 Jun 2016, 13:06

1. Gaming International started life as the Bristol Stadium Company in 1932. After various name changes it did not become Gaming International until 2001 when it acquired interests in the Japanese pachinko market.

2. From 1932 to 1997 the company operated Eastville Stadium in Bristol. The company bought the stadium from Bristol Rovers in 1940 and acted as the football clubâ€™s landlord until its departure in 1986. Clarke Osborne, current chairman of Gaming International, worked for the stadium company when Bristol Rovers left and he was signing off company reports as secretary during the mid 1980s.

3. The Bristol stadium company also operated the dog track at Oxford between 1952 and 1975. Early in his career Clarke Osborne was general manager at Oxford between 1973 and 1975. The track was sold to the local council for housing but was later revived by other greyhound racing operators.

4. Land adjoining the Eastville Stadium was sold to Tesco in 1985; the rest of the site to IKEA in 1997. With the closure of Eastville the stadiumâ€™s greyhound licence switched to the newly-acquired Swindon site. This soon became the companyâ€™s operating base.

5. Between 1995 and 1997 the company started to run the greyhound and speedway stadium at Poole and the dog track at Milton Keynes. It also became involved in the Milton Keynes Bowl at this time.

6. Gaming International continues to own and operate the Swindon track whilst leasing Poole stadium form the local council.

7. Gaming International remains involved in the Milton Keynes Bowl, chiefly an open-air concert venue, but greyhound racing no longer exists in Milton Keynes. Plans to build a new facility next to the Bowl did not come to fruition and the dog track closed in 2005. A fire destroyed the stadium shortly afterwards and the land is now used for housing.

8. Gaming International purchased the greyhound and speedway stadium at Reading in 2002. This was operated by Stadia UK, a subsidiary business, until the cessation of greyhound racing in 2008. The companyâ€™s plans to move to an adjacent site did not materialise and the stadium has since been demolished without being replaced.

9. The Swindon site was identified as inadequate and suitable for re-development as early as 2003. Active efforts to build a new stadium commenced in 2007 but so far work has not started on a new track.

10. Gaming International moved into Japanese pachinko gaming (a form of pinball) in 2001 following the purchase of Miyadera Gaming Center. This necessitated refocusing and restructuring of the business under a reconstituted board. The venture was over by 2005 after which time Gaming International returned to its core business of operating venues in the UK.

11. The Bristol stadium company participated in the Centre for Sport project in 1985 which would have seen a joint greyhound and football venue built at Stoke Gifford near Bristol. Plans did not progress after initial discussions and proposals.

12. In 2003 Gaming International joined forces with Steve Lansdown (Bristol City) and Geoff Dunford (Bristol Rovers) in a venture known as South Gloucestershire Arenas. This proposed a 30,000 capacity stadium for both clubs on the Severnside marshes. The project was abandoned after a few months.

13. Between 1996 and 2001 the company (then known as the BS Group) had a stake in Hereford Unitedâ€™s Edgar Street ground. This was in partnership with Chelverton Properties with the plan to sell the ground to a supermarket chain. BS Group was able to secure a stake by making an emergency market-rate, repayable loan to an ailing Hereford United that was heading for relegation from the Football League in 1997. BS Group withdrew from the arrangement in 2001.

14. Other company operations have included Knightstone Island (Weston-super-Mare) and Eastville Market (Bristol). Clarke Osborne was a director of Ocean Parcs which ran Pontins at a time of severe financial difficulty between 2007 and 2010.

15. According to Companies House Clarke Osborneâ€™s latest business venture is the incorporation of Riviera Stadium Ltd on 22 March 2016.

Alpine Joe · Post by **Alpine Joe** » 25 Jun 2016, 13:41

The explanation of 'pachinko' should have accompanied it's first mention in Point 1, rather than in Point 10, long after we've googled it.

torq2u · Post by **torq2u** » 25 Jun 2016, 15:42

Just googled it and seen the images.

Definition of a pachinko hall: death by decibels?

Glostergull · Post by **Glostergull** » 25 Jun 2016, 21:18

That doesn't sound to me like a terribly successful business regarding running stadia. Nearly all of the ventures have resulted in nothing. The Swindon Speedway fiasco has dragged on and I know many Swindon fans are sick of it. they fear the worst.
i don't know if i am allowed to put this link up but at the end of the article is you scroll a way down there are loads of comments from local fans and people living near

http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/spor ... red_tapes/

tomogull · Post by **tomogull** » 26 Jun 2016, 00:00

I just hope the Covenant on Plainmoor is completely watertight. It beggars belief that after all these weeks we are not being told anything by either the Board or this Clarke Osborne character.

Plainmoor78 · Post by **Plainmoor78** » 26 Jun 2016, 12:47

tomogull wrote:I just hope the Covenant on Plainmoor is completely watertight. It beggars belief that after all these weeks we are not being told anything by either the Board or this Clarke Osborne character.

When you talk about the Covenant are you referring to the Cary Estate? Because I am not sure there is one. Some time ago on this or another forum mention was made of a covenant with the Cary estate about Plainmoor being used for sporting purposes only. But the forerunner of Torbay council purchased the Plainmoor land when the Cary estate wanted to sell the land for house building. So if the Cary estate was prepared to see housing on the land why would they make a covenant restricting its use?

tomogull · Post by **tomogull** » 28 Jun 2016, 22:40

Plainmoor78 wrote: When you talk about the Covenant are you referring to the Cary Estate? Because I am not sure there is one. Some time ago on this or another forum mention was made of a covenant with the Cary estate about Plainmoor being used for sporting purposes only. But the forerunner of Torbay council purchased the Plainmoor land when the Cary estate wanted to sell the land for house building. So if the Cary estate was prepared to see housing on the land why would they make a covenant restricting its use?

Yes, that's exactly what I thought. I thought the Cary Estate covenant for the land to be used for recreational purposes only was still in place. I hadn't read that Cary Estate were prepared to sell the land for housing. Now you've got me really worried, P'moor78 !

Plainmoor78 · Post by **Plainmoor78** » 29 Jun 2016, 00:58

Sorry to get you all worried Tomogull. I got the information from the TFF forum. It is in a thread called The History of Plainmoor in the Torquay United History Room.

Plainmoor78 · Post by **Plainmoor78** » 29 Jun 2016, 01:06

By the way thank you N Somerset Observer for setting out this information on GI in the way you have. It makes it very clear what sort of organisation we are dealing with. In fact it looks like a car crash waiting to happen.

stefano · Post by **stefano** » 29 Jun 2016, 08:27

Plainmoor78 wrote:By the way thank you N Somerset Observer for setting out this information on GI in the way you have. It makes it very clear what sort of organisation we are dealing with. In fact it looks like a car crash waiting to happen.

Shouldn't surprise you! You saw last week that people are prepared to completely ignore very clear warnings!

tomogull · Post by **tomogull** » 29 Jun 2016, 11:58

stefano wrote: Shouldn't surprise you! You saw last week that people are prepared to completely ignore very clear warnings!

Yes - I fully agree. Roy Hodgson picked the wrong team .........

Post by **Scott Brehaut** » 30 Jun 2016, 14:12

stefano wrote: Shouldn't surprise you! You saw last week that people are prepared to completely ignore very clear warnings!

Indeed - thankfully, they were trumped by 17 million who did heed the warnings

tomogull · Post by **tomogull** » 01 Jul 2016, 22:50

TUST members will have received an email which states it is intended to raise four questions about the state of play of the proposed takeover at the club's AGM on July 11th. I didn't agree with TUST's previous demand for a meeting with Gaming International representatives before the takeover was completed, but as they state in their letter, this has now been dragging on for three months and we, the fans, have been kept in the dark about what is (or isn't) going on so it is time we had a few answers. For non TUST members, I have copied part of their email (below). I am not a shareholder but if there are any shareholders out there who are planning to attend the AGM, it would be interesting to hear what chairman David Phillips has to say.

(part of TUST email) More to the point TUST feels obliged to enquire why the club's directors have persisted with the period of exclusivity for so long. As of 1 July it is three months since Gaming International's interest was publicly announced. Since then supporters have heard next to nothing about the progress, or otherwise, of the deal. Now, with the new season rapidly approaching, TUST believes it is time for the board to tell supporters exactly what is going on.

The scheduled shareholders' AGM on 11 July represents the perfect opportunity for the chairman and directors to address the following questions:

1: What - or who - is the reason for the takeover not being completed by the end of May as promised?

2: TUST is led to believe the extended period of exclusivity expired on 1 July. Does this mean the Gaming International deal is dead?

3: If there is to be no deal with Gaming International is there an alternative investment plan? If so, what is the progress?

4: What reassurance can the board give that we will be in a position to sustain football at the club for the duration of the 2016/17 season?

tufcjon · Post by **tufcjon** » 01 Jul 2016, 23:34

tomogull wrote:

This was over a century ago!

Torquay Athletic were kicked out of Plainmoor twice - in 1887 and in 1904 - to make way for the builders.

In 1909, Torquay Council would not match the price offered by property developers but the Vicar of Ellacombe, Rev. Percy Baker, saved the day by raising £500 from local people to bridge the gap.

This kept Plainmoor safe from development until the incredible decision by Dave Phillips to sell the club to property developers.

The opening post tells you all you need to know about Gaming International's success rate in actually getting stadia built to replace those that they have bulldozed for profit.

Oh Fer Christ Sake · Post by **Oh Fer Christ Sake** » 02 Jul 2016, 15:20

My word, don't people have short memories!

It wasn't even a decade ago that the club was sold to a shyster. I, for one, am delighted that all parties are taking their time and doing everything they can to ensure that what is obviously a major upheaval is as thoroughly well researched as is possible BEFORE any takeover is complete.

Imagine the hell which would ensue is we rushed through the purchase (for no gain other than keeping the gossip hungry public at bay) only for Torbay Council to poo-poo any plans for a new ground, thereby making the whole investment pointless for GI and forcing them to sell for a quid to someone, anyone, at the earliest opportunity. Imagine who would end up with the reigns then.

If this grand plan for Old Trafford Of The Westcountry is going to fall in its arse, I'd be **** grateful if it went that way before GI took over, not after.

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