GTFC training ground location?

Just a thought - if the facilities are at the other end of the m180, that wouldn’t stop players moving to town if they wanted to. It might just be better to have all the squad within a 30/40 drive of their workplace, then half some living 5 mins away and some 2 hours away?

I believed we debated this in detail some weeks ago. If I'm not mistaken the Donny area sounded good but was deemed to be too far away. Cheapside had to have the push and even somewhere on the docks was suggested, due to the impression the new stadium was to be built there.

Personally, I like the idea of Barnetby top. The location is about right to attract players from the Sheffield/ Barnsley/Leeds areas. About 1 - 1 1/2 hours travel so it saves the extra 1/2 hour to Cheapside if it was redeveloped or even into Grimsby itself.

I think we can forget about players settling in the town in this modern era, due to short-term contracts and total lack of amenities compared to other towns and cities, the new palm tree included! What we hope for is that the new owners have as much vision as we believe they have and come up with a good solution.

Quoted from malkamalka

The "easy access" options (A180) also allows for ease of departure. Where would players be living if they were coming across the motorway to train? What about those players who decide to move to Louth for example? They could have further to travel than someone who decides to live in Scunthorpe (?), Lincoln, Doncaster or Sheffield.

If the new owners are proposing this new era that incorporates sustainability towards the club, employees, supporters, community, etc., then surely a Community Stadium should include on site training facilities. It's not a general thing that's done, but I think a location closer to, rather than farther away from the stadium whould show a commitment to the new philosophy of community driven.

That player would have moved to Louth knowing that the training ground was 30 miles away, dictating their longer commute, therefore your point is effectively moot.

When location has been cited as a factor on many ocasions as to why we can't attract players, I can't see that trying to be pragmatic and solve this can be anything other than a good thing. In terms of incorporating full training facilities within any new community stadium, you're looking at major acreage to include the necessary number of pitches. I'm sure there would/will be community 4G pitches included in a new community stadium but full first team and youth training fscilities would be unrealistic. So that leaves us with a rented training ground with poor facilities in a less than ideal location for attracting commuting players (a reality in today's game that isn't going away with one year contracts being the norm).

Elsham Top about the best bet for me. Bit bleak in the winter but only real spot in that area flat enough and close enough for those links we say we need.

Boston train at The Keepmoat in Doncaster as it increases the pool of players available to them.

You have to be naïve if you don't think the daily commute isn't factored into decision making, especially if they are discussing it with their wife/girlfriend.

When we signed Craig Disley didn't he set up home in Market Rasen? The idea of Barnetby is quite good but also the Caistor area has some merit as well.

Don’t have strong feelings about this. Can see the benefit of putting it closer to bigger population centres. However, if there’s any public funding available, e.g. for shared use facilities, we would lose out of its at somewhere like Kirmington.

Brigg would be a good area.

I think the original post that kicked off this debate was a really interesting idea.  If you remove the emotion from this (we all as Town supporters) and look at it from a point of view of "what would I do if it was me" then it does make sense to move the training ground somewhere more accessible.

Given the short term nature of contracts these guys are not settling in Grimsby/Lincolnshire for 3-5 years  - they are not going to move house and kids/wife.  I contract from client to client usually 1-2 years at a time - there is no way I move house each time -  I look at what is accessible and how easy it is to get to work/get home.  My family stay in London and I choose my work based on access.  I am sure these guys are the same.

I have to say - great post that started this conversation  - I never really thought about the location of the training ground before

It’s the contract length which surely plays a part in why players don’t necessarily move permanently to a town etc. I’d imagine distance does impact that but not so much as a 2 year deal.

This romantic notion of it being important for players to live in the community is nonsense in the modern game. Only a handful if that of our most recent successful side lived locally, they still had the passion and drive. Look at top clubs, they win, there’s a passion and a desire to win, few players live in say Manchester or Liverpool though.

The training facility is just that, a facility that enables players to do their daily job. Of placing it elsewhere, with state of the art and modern facilities can improve chances of signing players then it can only be a good thing. Let’s face it, we are the club that we’re deadly serious when we added an additional portacabin at our training facility as it being an improvement.