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Royal Mess

Norfolk football team faces eviction 21 years after death of King Olav

What in the name of Thor does King Olav the fifth of Norway have to do with little old Cromer Town FC? I hear you ask. Well, gather close.

CABBELL PARK WAS donated to Cromer Town FC in 1922 and it has been home to the Norfolk club ever since.

However, there was an unusual deadline clause installed into the lease by the previous owner, Evelyn Bond Cabbell.

The clause stated that the land could stay with the club until 21 years after the last death of King Edward’s grandchildren.

Edward’s last grandchild, at the time, went on to become King Olav the fifth in Norway. He died on 17 January 1991, so what now?

Comer Town FC obviously would rather not leave their central location and have even argued that their lease has another couple of decades yet to run. Another Grandchild of Edward, George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood (bear with me) had been conceived at the time of the land transfer but was not yet born. He died only last July.

Mayor of Cromer, Greg Hayman told the Telegraph, “The football club is not happy with the arrangements to move out of town. We will bring a motion to fight to keep the club in Cromer.”

In opposition to the club’s wishes are the district council, who want the club to move to a new site on the fringes of the town. However, Hayman is intent on keeping the club, who sit proudly atop the Anglian Combination Premier Division, within the heart of Cromer:

“I believe that land belongs to Cromer, not the district council, and we should assert our right over it to keep Cromer Town fooball club in Cromer, not move it to another parish at Roughton, which would be detrimental to its long history in the town.”

Read the full story in the Telegraph>>>

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