Town's top clubs should merge, says chairman

Harris' vision would see Bexhill United and Sidley United join forces to play Ryman League football at Gullivers with Bexhill and Sidley Cricket Clubs becoming a top class Sussex Premier League outfit at the Polegrove.

He said: "Because of the situation I believe it needs drastic changes and I believe that both the football clubs and cricket clubs should amalgamate. It would also mean we could put football at Sidley but develop the ground so it could be fit for the Ryman League. Bexhill deserves a first class football club and the people of Bexhill deserve it.

"Maybe the clubs want to keep themselves to themselves but shared pitches are a recipe for disaster. Everybody is looking to survive, nobody is looking to develop."

He's also taken a swipe at local businesses and the Rother District Council for their lack of financial backing. "The council needs to wake up to the desperate situation that sport is in. I'm not satisfied with the support that either the council or big business offer towards sport in Bexhill. Rother District Council is a big council and they've got to start making hard decisions. The support that big businesses give to sport is woefully inadequate and bearing in mind the wealth in Bexhill there are people that could get involved even just by saving their tax. But there's an attitude of complacency and lack of interest," he went on.

Harris is calling on councillors and the public to come to the meeting and express their ideas on how to move things forward. He continued: "I don't profess to know it all and I might not have got it right but I want people to express their opinions so we can search for a way forward. At this meeting it's important that we come up with solutions and stop accepting second best. I would like to form an action group that will look into the financial needs and requirements to give senior sport in Bexhill a fighting chance.

"We need to draw our resources into a central pool so that Bexhill has a first class county cricket squad, a football team looking to join the Ryman League and that the rowing club gets the support to develop their potential to even greater success. It takes work to achieve change and I think if you can dream it you can do it. We've got people who can drive things forward."

The conference starts from 7.30pm at the Little Common Road venue, all welcome.