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To anyone not even directly involved with the Aldersley Rifle Range - or its' development - serious questions will
still arise as to where the money has gone. An equally important question then follows: How can funds that
have been applied for - and granted - from organisations such as the The Lottery Commission and
Sport England, be spent on projects other than which they were intended?. Surely this cannot be done,
or at the very least, is an under-handed way of conducting business through grant applications.

To apply for money in the first place, details of what the money is to be used for must of course be supplied.

Is it then correct - or even legal - to spend the money on a different project once the money has been received?.

Do the organisations who have given or approved the grants even know what's going on?.

So where's the money gone??

Quite simply, it's been spent on other projects at Aldersley. Due to over-spending on various other developments -
through either bad planning, mis-management, or sheer incompetence - the money allocated for the rifle range has
been used elsewhere. This leads to another question mark over 'who's fault' this really is.

Recently, various Wolverhampton councillors have been pointing the blame squarely at one person in particular:
The President of Wolverhampton Small-Bore Rifle Association - and founder of the Aldersley Rifle Range - Frank
Spittle. (For Frank's shooting CV, please click <here>). It is very easy for organisations / councils etc to attack an
individual in this way, and much more difficult for that individual to make his voice heard - especially when those
people do not want to listen, or choose to ignore the facts. To attempt to shift the blame onto someone who has
had no dealings whatsoever in the application, allocation or spending of these funds at Aldersley is underhand in
the extreme. Because of this, it is felt that now is the right time to set the record straight, and ensure that those who
have made the many blunders over the years be made accountable for their actions, before the whole episode is
brushed under the carpet.

The Internet has made this possible, where any interested party can look at the facts, and make up their own mind
regarding this intolerable situation. If it can happen here, rest assured it can happen anywhere.

Extract from letter: sent by Ken Purchase MP, to Frank Hilton of the Office of the Chief Executive & Policy Coordinator W.ton:

"it is entirely understandable to me that Mr. Spittle and his colleagues feel that they have been used, and
'led a merry dance'. I do not believe this is the way in which the Council should conduct its' business."

After many years of hard work by the rifle shooters of Wolverhampton, the Aldersley Rifle Range was finally
completed in 1974.

Owned by the Wolverhampton Small-Bore Rifle Association (WSBRA), the range is located on a sports complex
(now 'Leisure Village'), on land leased from Wolverhampton Council.

Since its' completion, the range has hosted Local, National, International and World Championship events.

With a firing point to accommodate 48 competitors, and a range length of 100 metres, the facility was - and still is -
seen as probably the best of its' kind in the UK, and would eventually become England's 'home range'.

Along side the rifle range lay the athletics track, (home of Wolverhampton & Bilston A.C), and cycle track (home
of Wolverhampton Wheelers). These three clubs would produce between then some of the finest athletes and
competitors this country has produced. Each in their own right contributed so much to the town of Wolverhampton
(now a City), and the rifle range in particular brought International competitors from around the world.

During these early years, Wolverhampton Council was glad to associate itself closely with the range - and its'
successes.

The range - and its' associated small-bore rifle clubs - turned out International competitors by the dozen. Visitors
from all over the country would converge on the range for the many 'open' competitions held there. It was the envy
of many shooters nation-wide, who had no such facility near their own home towns. Due to the location of the
range, it is quite simply unique.

Such was the status of the Aldersley rifle range facility, that the venue was chosen as the site for the 1992 Olympic
shooting events - had Birmingham been successful in their Olympic bid. The rifle range was chosen as the ideal
place for Wolverhampton Council to hand over their cheque to Birmingham Council, as contribution to
the Olympic Bid Fund. (the event photographed for the local press, of course).

All these - and subsequent successes - have been made possible because of the voluntary hard work and enthusiasm
from members of the rifle range. The key word here is voluntary. Dedication to the sport - and the facilities - is what
breeds success, and this is what separates the enthusiast working hard for his or her sport, and the paid civil servant -
here one minute and gone the next.

Wolverhampton small-bore rifle shooters have of course seen numerous changes to the councillors over the years.
Some have been a pleasure to deal with - others have not. Whoever has held office over the years, their decisions can
have far reaching effects; matters that can make - and have made - detrimental effects on those doing the real work at
voluntary level; long after these councillors have moved on to other posts - or simply gone off the scene all together.

The last 6 years have been the worst in the history of the rifle range. The reason is simple. The much needed funding -
promised by councillors of Wolverhampton - has not materialised. With an ever-increasing frustration, the small-bore
rifle shooters of Wolverhampton have indeed been led a 'merry dance'. For the council not to have received funds for
the rifle range would be frustrating. To know funds have been received and quite simply miss-spent is disgraceful.

Aftermath

The athletes of Wolverhampton now have to find somewhere else to train if they wish to further their career past
the 'enthusiast' stage. The cycle track is in a sorry state, the spectator stand has been demolished and not
replaced, and the on-site public house has also gone. We now have a 'leisure village'; a multi-complex costing a
vast amount of money; which must host events like 'cat shows' and 'computer fairs' in order to keep up with
running costs. The heart and soul of Aldersley Stadium has been ripped out, with the very people and the clubs
who built Aldersley's reputation in the first place for sporting excellence, now looking elswhere.

The range is now in urgent need of refurbishment. It is quite simply an 'eye-sore' to anybody visiting the
complex. In a ridiculous twist of fate, the council make clear that the lease of the ground on which the range is
located, is in jepordy unless the neccessary up-keep and maintenance of the range is carried out!.

That is why the money - already granted for the range - is needed. The money however has not been
forthcoming, or simply witheld. Over this 6 year period since the range grants were applied for - and received by
Wolverhampton Council - the surrounding facilities have been altered beyond all recognition. New buildings,
sports areas, football pitches - even car park resurfacing have been carried out. The rifle range has not been
touched - at all - within all this refurbishment work.

The rifle shooters of Wolverhampton have been used to waiting. It took 15 years before there was even any
electricity supplied to the range. We still do not have the luxury of toilet facilities. Not even a water tap.

Why is this??

Is there any reason why the range has been overlooked - or simply ignored - other than the council's admitted
overspending on 'other projects'?. As explained above, the council make it clear that the lease is at risk, with the
range in its' present state.

The range itself falls within the area of the new Leisure Village. It takes up an area approx. 110 metres by 70
metres, and is a prime area on the ground, for re-developement for other sports. Could it be that this is indeed the
council's wish, that the range be left to decay to such a state that the lease is returned to them, giving them complete
freedom to develope the land for alternative projects?. Why else should funds be diverted elswhere on the
complex, with not a single penny being spent on the rifle range?.

A new twist

The leisure Village development was to be in 3 phases, with the last - PHASE 3 - to include the money for the
rifle range. Wolverhampton Council 'overspent' on phases 1 and 2, leaving nothing to spare for the range.

With the last grant that was received by Wolverhampton Council from Sport England, it has been emphasized to
the small-bore rifle shooters that the rifle range cannot be included within the spending, as it can only be used for
NEW facilities - not existing ones.

This leaves the range in the position - according to the above - with no prospect of help whatsoever. The money
that was granted previously for the range, and spent on other things, was the only way in which the range would
have benefited from any of these grants. This seems to contradict however, a letter received from the Head of
Leisure Development - Mr C. Huddart. It states that these additional funds from Sport England were for
'refurbishment of the shooting facilities', among other projects. (for the complete letter, please click <here> -
approx 200k).

So who should be held accountable for this overspending, and is it right that the rifle shooters should have to
accept that their initial allocated grant of Ł450,000 money has gone?. As mentioned near the top of this page,
neither Frank Spittle, or any of the rifle shooters were involved in the application of the grant. It came as some
surprise therefore, to be informed by Mr. Alistair Merrick of Wolverhampton Council, that the figure was actually
Ł460,000 - not Ł450,000.