SIR, Re: Bicester sport. In 1993 Cherwell District Council turned down BSA’s planning application for sport facilities at Chesterton. Now they are asking them to buy and run phase three at Bicester for them. Bit of a nerve really.

You don’t buy three houses when you only have the means to run two of them.

We all know the BSA was set up to provide sport for the people of Bicester. Not rocket science really, but running any club is never that easy - collecting subs and with all the other overheads it costs a lot of money just to tick over.

We at the rugby club have to go around the local businesses asking for their support, of which we very grateful. Sadly we had to turn their advertising boards around, so they did not face the road. They should talk to the BSA, not expect them to run a facility free of charge for them.

In my experience, the only successful clubs are the ones owned and run by one committee and trustees, not tiers of managements answering to councils.

You only have to look at Buckingham RFC as an example of a successful club.

Let’s hope all sport in Bicester is well supported. It makes for a better town.

P.S. Would it ever be possible, once the planning has been approved by the council, for us all connected with sport in Bicester to be free of any rates and regulations so that we could earn money to help run our clubs?

John Deeley, President, Bicester RFC