No Decision Made on Chiswick Gators Move

Chiswick Gators offer coaching to local youngsters. Picture: Chiswick Gators

April 23, 2023

Chiswick Gators, the youth basketball club, which has been widely hailed as a local success story, has confirmed it is considering moving from the area.

The possibility was highlighted at a recent Hounslow Council cabinet meeting which was discussing access restrictions in the area. Local Conservative councillor, Peter Thompson told the meeting that he had been informed that the Gators were considering a move to Hammersmith due to the problems parents were having collecting and picking up from coaching sessions at Chiswick School Sports Hall.

There has been a high degree of confusion about how the restrictions operate on Staveley Road. The coaching session ends at 7pm just as the restriction does and it is possible to approach from the western end of the road but not the east. This complexity has resulted in many parents picking up Penalty Charge Notices (PCN). Others are complaining that journey times to the sessions are increased to the point at which attendance becomes impractical. A reopening of Burlington Lane from the A316 would have given some parents an alternative route to drop off and collect from the school but this proposal was recently rejected by the council’s Cabinet.

The Chiswick Gators has confirmed to us that a move is on the agenda and that access restrictions are one of the reasons it has been forced to look at a change of location. However, it is not the only factor with issues with the management of the sports hall and the maintenance of the facility also being significant concerns.

Owen Turner, Club administrator said that any move would take place in the new academic year but that nothing is definite at this stage. He confirmed that parents getting PCNs was an issue and traffic generally has been a major problem particularly when roadworks were taking place on the A4.

He added, “The move was also to do with the venue management poor upkeep of the hall. With holes in the floor leaking roof when it rains and lack of access to the facility making it very difficult for parents and ourselves. Examples are staff turning up really late to open up the venue or some days staff not turning up at all. Parents with babes not been able to sit in the viewing area to watch because chairs were banned from the viewing areas. Mum’s with babes had to stand and watch carrying their child on one occasion a pregnant mother had to sit outside and was unable to watch due to the no seating allowed rule. So many of the factors mentioned made us decide to start looking elsewhere.”

Club founder Mike Kwentoh recently had a meeting with Chiswick School head teacher Laura Ellener which was described as productive. Ms Ellener pledged that Chiswick School will continue to support the club allowing it to store equipment in the school cupboard and that other matters of concern would be looked into. This was enough to persuade Mr Kwentoh not to immediately make the move to quit Chiswick School and instead remain until at least this September. He told a recent club members’ meeting, at which parents were in attendance, that he would be looking for improvements.

Mr Turner added, “So far not a lot has changed but things have gotten a lot better for the club. We continue to wait and see how things are till the summer holidays.”

The Chiswick Gators is likely to leave the area with great reluctance particularly as a plaque to Ali Abucar Ali has been installed at the Chiswick School Sports Hall. The popular coach was stabbed to death shortly after leaving a Friday training session in 2021.