A football stadium’s clubhouse could have to close amid concerns about the way a new company is running the site.
Frome Town FC’s (FTFC) Badger’s Hill stadium has been run by a company headed by businessman Courtney Fong since July.
Frome Town Council, which has owned the site since 2022, said Mr Fong’s company Badger’s Hill Ltd has yet to pay any agreed rent, adding safety reports found 22 issues with fire and building safety.
David Parry, director for Badger’s Hill Ltd, said serious mistakes were made by the stadium’s previous owners and the company should not be expected to foot the bill for those errors.
At an extraordinary meeting later, the council will decide if it should remove the company’s exclusivity agreement to buy the club, as well as debate closure of the clubhouse.
Fiona Barrows, leader of the council, told the BBC: “It’s not working for us, it’s not working for them and it’s not working for the community, who are now at risk of… losing Badger’s Hill for good.”
Ms Barrows said fans believed everything was going okay, but added there is now “a bit of shock” this no longer appears to be the case.
She added that the blame did not solely lie with the current tenants for the issues.
Mr Parry said he believes “all parties wish to work together to restore the facilities to a standard that will benefit” the football team and community.
He added: “It is clear that serious mistakes were made regarding the management of Badgers Hill prior to the current principals becoming involved.
“It is unreasonable for FTFC or Badgers Hill to meet the costs of correcting those mistakes and to pay rent on a facility that, apart from hosting football matches, is not completely fit for purpose.”
Mr Fong lives in Chicago, USA and joined the board of directors of Frome Town FC in December 2024. His company, Badgers Hill Ltd, was due to pay the council £32,000 per year in rent after taking over running the stadium earlier this year.
The stadium was bought by the council in 2022 after its previous owners ran into financial difficulties.
