Stadium Update

Quoted from headingly_mariner

There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that that club would turn a profit in a new ground. Clubs that have made the best of a move have done it alongside major investment in the team.
The huge problem is that debt to directors and that it secures control over the club to the debtors. I'm sure that without those debts if the club was available somebody would take it on.
Surely though there has to be a third way, the fans raised over 100 grand last year to top up the budget, this created such positivity and a stake for the fans in the team, we are capable of 6k plus gates which in itself would be enough to maintain a side in this division. Why couldn't the fans run the club within its means? Op promotion proved that more stakeholders created more interest.
At the moment fans are divided because the club is a rich man's folly. Don't forget the people who are making these decisions on the building of a new ground are the same people who voted for the new EFL Trophy.

There is plenty of evidence that we can't turn a profit in the current ground though. I'd be very surprised if the club hasn't looked into this in more detail than any of us and if it was such a bad idea, why are so many clubs getting and seeking new grounds?

I really can't believe the level of skepticism about a possible new ground from fans of the club.

I read with interest the posts so far. But the time for discussing whether or not GTFC need a new stadium and the pros and cons, is about 23 years out of date. In fact the supporters of our club have probably broken a record for the carrying out due dilegence on wether this Town needs a new stadium. The time for debating the most appropriate site has also come to an end. Again about 23 years has been spent on that pursuit.
The debating needs to stop. Weve done it to death. If the club cannot get the backing of its own supporters then what chance will it have against the NIMBYS and naysayers (of which Grimsby would win a gold if NIMBYism was to be entered into the Olympics).
We all will have our point of views and we have had an eternity to voice these. But now is the time to back the club 100% as it will certainly need our backing and support if a new stadium will ever materialise in our lifetimes.UTMM.

Quoted from psgmariner

Again though - if there was bags of money to be made in hosting conferences in the area then someone would build a conference centre. Not a £20 million football stadium that can host conferences (except on a number of Saturdays and Tueadays).

The financial argument I can understand is selling what we have to then rent somewhere new. If we sell BP then we get some money in the bank, Fenty recoups some of his loan and then we pray to god then council, IKEA, sainsburys or someone pays for a new ground that we can rent from them. All seems incredibly short term thinking. If I was incredibly skint I may consider selling my house and then renting but it would be a last resort.

A community stadium means the club don't own it. We will be tenants.

If someone bought my house, which is falling down, full of damp has dodgy electrics and a touch of subsidence for £200k and in return they allowed me to rent a brand do shiny 5 bed house with double garage for £1 a month for the next 999 years I would bite their hand off wouldn't you?

Quoted from heppy88

I read with interest the posts so far. But the time for discussing whether or not GTFC need a new stadium and the pros and cons, is about 23 years out of date. In fact the supporters of our club have probably broken a record for the carrying out due dilegence on wether this Town needs a new stadium. The time for debating the most appropriate site has also come to an end. Again about 23 years has been spent on that pursuit.
The debating needs to stop. Weve done it to death. If the club cannot get the backing of its own supporters then what chance will it have against the NIMBYS and naysayers (of which Grimsby would win a gold if NIMBYism was to be entered into the Olympics).
We all will have our point of views and we have had an eternity to voice these. But now is the time to back the club 100% as it will certainly need our backing and support if a new stadium will ever materialise in our lifetimes.UTMM.

I agree this is all self evident, the consultancy report is independent and robust what more could anyone reasonably ask for. Despite this I'm sure I'll be reading on here at some point over the coming months "has anybody thought of so and so field for a new stadium, as I was looking out my car window the other day and it looked perfect for a new stadium".

Quoted from Cloudy

If someone bought my house, which is falling down, full of damp has dodgy electrics and a touch of subsidence for £200k and in return they allowed me to rent a brand do shiny 5 bed house with double garage for £1 a month for the next 999 years I would bite their hand off wouldn't you?

If it was £1 a month for 999 years as you suggest it might be then so would I.

Quoted from ginnywings

There is plenty of evidence that we can't turn a profit in the current ground though. I'd be very surprised if the club hasn't looked into this in more detail than any of us and if it was such a bad idea, why are so many clubs getting and seeking new grounds?

I really can't believe the level of skepticism about a possible new ground from fans of the club.

Looking back at the performance of those who have run the club in recent history are you sure you can't believe people are sceptical? I'm not sure I would trust them to organise delivering a paper, let alone a fit for purpose football ground.

Quoted from headingly_mariner

Looking back at the performance of those who have run the club in recent history are you sure you can't believe people are sceptical? I'm not sure I would trust them to organise delivering a paper, let alone a fit for purpose football ground.

Maybe, but in the absence of Sheikh Mansoor, Roman Abramovich or even Peter Swann, they are probably as good as you're going to get.

There's lots of talk about "soulless new grounds" on here, but why should a new ground have to be soulless?  There are loads of examples of brand new facilities in different European countries and in Major League Soccer in the US, where new grounds have had traditional features and atmosphere "designed-in" so that fans get the traditional experience but with up-to-date features.  

A new ground will be whatever we make it.  There'll be supporter input at the "requirements gathering" stage so if you want stands close to the pitch, tell them! If you want safe standing, tell them.  If you want steep stands, a gabled roof, loads of bars, more bogs, a better sound-system, then say so!

But all this is an argument for another day, and a nice one to have too.  What isn't in dispute is that if Town stay at BP, then the Main Stand will eventually burn down or be condemned and DeFreitas will see that BP loses its safety certificate.  The club will fold.

I think the biggest frustration for me about us not getting the new ground while others around us have , is the question 'what if ' I mean who thaught before Hull , Swansea , Rotherham etc got there new stadiums that they would go through the leagues . I'm not saying we would but we won't realise what our potential is/isn't until we (if ever ) get that new ground  .

Quoted from Marinerz93

You forgot the New Clee station, off Thorald Street.

New Clee train station to BP = 0.7 mile which is about 13 minutes, and you left out your access route from GY train station to proposed site because the 1.2 mile isn't for being on foot.

The days of the majority of fans travelling to games by train are long gone. Those who do usually find themselves  very well policed and certainly dont end up being given free rein to cause mayhem. I suspect we'd see something like Scunthorpes system of bussing fans from the station to the ground. Talk of hordes of hooligans rampaging through People's Park belongs in the Andrew De Freitas book of political points scoring.
It would be perfectly feasible for the club to liaise with Stagecoach to provide match day bus services for those fans not wishing/able to drive. There are loads of clubs who do so.
Peakes Parkway is almost slap bang in the middle of N.E. Lincs. The talk of the new ground adding to so called traffic chaos is massively over exaggerated. For those travelling from the villages south of the Parkway their journey would end at the new ground not as at present further into Town. Away fans coming off the A180 would be travelling in the opposite direction to the traffic mainly heading for the centre.
The issue with traffic using Weelsby Avenue could actually be alleviated with a sensibly planned road access system. Let's face it anyone having the misfortune of trying to exit Weelsby Ave after a well attended crem. funeral will be glad of such a move..