council want to talk to Town about new stadium

Now that the elections are out of the way, the council want to talk with the new owners to see what their ideas are on a new community stadium.

It's mentioned at the bottom of this article about scrapping the white palm tree..

https://www.grimsbytelegraph.c.....olRvp10aRiaWK9nxJLk4

They sound quite keen to include a stadium in their plans for regeneration of Cleethorpes.

Sounds like he’s said a whole heap of fúck all to me.

“ Now that we have new owners for the club and we’ve got the local elections out of the way, we’re going to need to have early discussions to see what their thinking might be," Councillor Jackson said.

“I would be keen to progress a new football stadium if the willingness is there from the club.

“Of course, any new stadium would be a community stadium for a broad range of uses.”

They want to have a meeting to see what the new board might be thinking (before informing the club what their new stadium would, of course, be). Not sure they’re in any position to start lecturing the club on what the stadium would be, unless the Council are part funding it. As to whether Cllr Jackson is keen or not, it’s immaterial given that there’s a long standing policy commitment to relocating the club.

Perhaps he should stick to arranging the sandwiches for meetings with convicted fraudsters?

I was under the impression that as far as the new board is concerned a new stadium is on the back burner for the time being. The council has the land at Freemo and doesn't know what to do with it if Town doesn't want it. Or given the GT's report last week of a proposed new development from Great Coates Rd./A1136 junction to A46 are they thinking of a new ground on the outskirts of town near to Morrisons.

Or does the council leader want to expunge all ideas from his ex-best buddy?

Quoted from DB

I was under the impression that as far as the new board is concerned a new stadium is on the back burner for the time being. The council has the land at Freemo and doesn't know what to do with it if Town doesn't want it. Or given the GT's report last week of a proposed new development from Great Coates Rd./A1136 junction to A46 are they thinking of a new ground on the outskirts of town near to Morrisons.

Or does the council leader want to expunge all ideas from his ex-best buddy?

Did his ex best buddy have any ideas?

Let’s face it, had it not been exposed I’d imagine Jackson would be sending over council money in to the dodgy bank accounts of Mr May by now, on projects that would never have truly come to fruition.

Does Jackson want to really speak with the club or is he just trying to demonstrate he no longer has ties or allegiance to his old mate? Are you now at a point where he probably needs the club to redevelop than the club needs the council?

He clearly hasn’t read or listened to the new owners; they’ve made it clear on a couple of occasions that unless truly necessary they will not be wasting money chasing a dream on a vanity project...

Council are still keen to use Freeman Street area or the Docks so they can get their hands on regeneration funding. They do not want to fund the stadium but won't be able to attract other funding unless the stadium is built in these areas. They don't have all the land required for the Freeman Street area and would have to compulsory purchase peoples homes so they can be demolished.

The council are only in it for themselves and are not that concerned with the football club (even though they profess to be) and this is evident by their constant interfering and requiring three separate reports on possible areas and then ignoring the results because the most suitable location is not where they want it.

The consortium should decide which location is best for the club and fans not which is best for the council. If the council object and block any planning application then it can be appealed and it goes to a government official to decide and if the council lose they have to pay the costs.

As already stated the new stadium is not a priority at the moment and so the council should be told to butt out and stop speculating. GTFC will determine when it wants to move forward and not be forced into diverting resources at this point.

Quoted from Mrbump53

Council are still keen to use Freeman Street area or the Docks so they can get their hands on regeneration funding. They do not want to fund the stadium but won't be able to attract other funding unless the stadium is built in these areas. They don't have all the land required for the Freeman Street area and would have to compulsory purchase peoples homes so they can be demolished.

The council are only in it for themselves and are not that concerned with the football club (even though they profess to be) and this is evident by their constant interfering and requiring three separate reports on possible areas and then ignoring the results because the most suitable location is not where they want it.

The consortium should decide which location is best for the club and fans not which is best for the council. If the council object and block any planning application then it can be appealed and it goes to a government official to decide and if the council lose they have to pay the costs.

As already stated the new stadium is not a priority at the moment and so the council should be told to butt out and stop speculating. GTFC will determine when it wants to move forward and not be forced into diverting resources at this point.

Sounds familiar to the now ex owner of our beloved club...in it for himself and not the club...

Quoted from aldi_01

Sounds familiar to the now ex owner of our beloved club...in it for himself and not the club...

At one time I would have disagreed with you but now he’s walked away with a profit from the club after years and years of failure, I concede you are right.

Quoted from DB

I was under the impression that as far as the new board is concerned a new stadium is on the back burner for the time being. The council has the land at Freemo and doesn't know what to do with it if Town doesn't want it. Or given the GT's report last week of a proposed new development from Great Coates Rd./A1136 junction to A46 are they thinking of a new ground on the outskirts of town near to Morrisons.

Or does the council leader want to expunge all ideas from his ex-best buddy?

Can't use the Morrisons site because there is a 1 in 4 gradient and the ball would keep going in that pond

Quoted from golfer

Can't use the Morrisons site because there is a 1 in 4 gradient and the ball would keep going in that pond

Best post on this site for weeks  

Quoted from Mrbump53

The consortium should decide which location is best for the club and fans not which is best for the council. If the council object and block any planning application then it can be appealed and it goes to a government official to decide and if the council lose they have to pay the costs.

Can we call them a Consortium now there is only 2  should it be co-owners  or partnership  ????   just a random question

One of the many legacies of the Principle Funder is that the words 'new' and 'stadium' in the same sentence immediately make me tut with contempt, shrug my shoulders and mutter under my breath "yeah, whatever..." before I quickly move on.

I suspect that the council is now talking about it again because the new owners have said it's unlikely to happen and the chance of regeneration money is going out of the window. They didn't have to worry about it when the Principle Funder was on board because of the opportunity to line his own pockets.

Council want to talk about it? thats all it is with this council, talk.

Quoted from Perkins

Council want to talk about it? thats all it is with this council, talk.

People said the same about the previous administration and voted them out. Maybe now people will see what little influence councils have these days, even when the government is of the same party and supposedly pumping lots of money into the town.

Am I the only person who doesn't want to move?

I like the fact that our stadium is vintage. I'm doubtful post pandemic that many of the sources of revenue that a new stadium would bring (meeting rooms) are as viable as they once were and I just don't see how heaping a load of debt onto the club helps us on the pitch.

Quoted from horsforthmariner

Am I the only person who doesn't want to move?

I like the fact that our stadium is vintage. I'm doubtful post pandemic that many of the sources of revenue that a new stadium would bring (meeting rooms) are as viable as they once were and I just don't see how heaping a load of debt onto the club helps us on the pitch.

Yes you are!

The main stand needs rebuilding,  as does the Osmond. It is hemmed in by houses on all sides, which makes rebuilding difficult and that's if we get planning permission.

It would be cheaper to build a new stadium than rebuild bit by bit.

With the recent announcement about the building of a new road linking the roundabout at Morrisons to the roundabout on the M180, would it make the old Great Coates site become more viable? It would open up more land for building, so would there be a new site for a new stadium?

Quoted from mimma

Yes you are!

The main stand needs rebuilding,  as does the Osmond. It is hemmed in by houses on all sides, which makes rebuilding difficult and that's if we get planning permission.

It would be cheaper to build a new stadium than rebuild bit by bit.

The new owners would possibly beg to differ. Not saying you’re wrong but they’ve made quite clear that they’re not just going to chase a pipe dream like the previous owner without exploring the redevelopment of BP.

Perhaps the money the council (never) had for the white palm tree could be offered to the club as a small investment (I know this won’t happen)?

There’s also the reason that BP is knackered in places because it’s been allowed to get that way because Fenty and co were obsessed with moving and saw no need to invest...annoying really because whilst the main stand isn’t the most accessible stand, underneath doesn’t need to be as excrement as it is with a small amount of time and effort with a few thousand...long term that’s much more sustainable for the club than borrowing £30m to build a breeze block shed...

Quoted from mimma

With the recent announcement about the building of a new road linking the roundabout at Morrisons to the roundabout on the M180, would it make the old Great Coates site become more viable? It would open up more land for building, so would there be a new site for a new stadium?

Please no! No out of town stadium. No on so many levels.

Your not the only one Horsforthmariner, I want to stay put also for the time being........we need to sort lots of other stuff out first......

Quoted from mimma

With the recent announcement about the building of a new road linking the roundabout at Morrisons to the roundabout on the M180, would it make the old Great Coates site become more viable? It would open up more land for building, so would there be a new site for a new stadium?

The problem with the M180 site is that the land owners didn’t want to sell, we didn’t have the money to buy and no anchor tenant could be found to fund it. There’s no money or interest in out-of-town developments like this anymore. That ship sailed about 20-25 years ago and luckily, though not by choice, we weren’t on it.

Is Blundell Park impossible to rebuild?

I fully appreciate there's going to be limitations but this was the line that was continually pushed out by the Fenty and his mob.  The new owners, especially AP, are experienced in regeneration as far as I'm aware and will have a far greater insight into what can and can't be done at Blundell Park.

Whatever happens, Blundell Park needs to be used more than just on matchdays.  The location and access to parking will be the biggest obstacle to that I'd imagine.  

The council can get copulated though.  Tired of their faux interest in the club.  That bloody palm tree sums them up.

Quoted from diehardmariner

Is Blundell Park impossible to rebuild?

I fully appreciate there's going to be limitations but this was the line that was continually pushed out by the Fenty and his mob.  The new owners, especially AP, are experienced in regeneration as far as I'm aware and will have a far greater insight into what can and can't be done at Blundell Park.

Whatever happens, Blundell Park needs to be used more than just on matchdays.  The location and access to parking will be the biggest obstacle to that I'd imagine.  

The council can get copulated though.  Tired of their faux interest in the club.  That bloody palm tree sums them up.

Agreed...the line that it was impossible to redevelop was merely another nonsense line from Fenty to ensure he could push his agenda towards a vanity project aimed at making him a bit of wedge and massaging his ego as the man that got us a new ground...

I’d imagine AP in particular knows various folk who could deliver that regeneration and redevelopment and a fraction of the cost of a new ground...

All of our happy memories are at Blundell Park and some not so good ones as well.

I think it could be a few more years before a new stadium is built.

So while we are waiting why not do the park up a bit ?

Extending the main stand or even knocking it down and having a new one might be the way forward.

Extend the pontoon so all of that end of the ground is covered in.

That will take the ground capacity to between 11,000 - 12,500.

That gives us a few years before a new ground is required.

Then when we have all the finance sorted and how a new stadium will work we can think about where we should put it.

Brentford who will be playing in the premier next season chose to build their ground in the tight space that was available so what's the rush it will be another 5 or 6 years at least before we get to the premier .

Quoted from mimma

With the recent announcement about the building of a new road linking the roundabout at Morrisons to the roundabout on the M180, would it make the old Great Coates site become more viable? It would open up more land for building, so would there be a new site for a new stadium?

Looking at the route it would need to take this may be as likely as a new stadium. There is no real reason to build from morrisons to the A180 as you already have a number of roads leading off to various locations. Also the road would go through a lot of greenfield sites, some beauty spots and no doubt the nesting area of the "great crested newt" will be involved along the way!

If we get a new stadium we could also use the palm tree to light up the car park. With a sign saying sponsored by North East Lincolnshire Council.

Quoted from Mrbump53

Looking at the route it would need to take this may be as likely as a new stadium. There is no real reason to build from morrisons to the A180 as you already have a number of roads leading off to various locations. Also the road would go through a lot of greenfield sites, some beauty spots and no doubt the nesting area of the "great crested newt" will be involved along the way!

I don't live in Grimsby so this is the first I've heard of this 'plan' and my immediate reaction was 'a road from Morrisons to the A180? What the f*ck do they want for, it's a road from nowhere to nowhere'. And it's not like the road's needed to ease massive congestion.

Quoted from Mrbump53

Looking at the route it would need to take this may be as likely as a new stadium. There is no real reason to build from morrisons to the A180 as you already have a number of roads leading off to various locations. Also the road would go through a lot of greenfield sites, some beauty spots and no doubt the nesting area of the "great crested newt" will be involved along the way!

Have you ever driven into town from the M180 in the afternoon?  The tailback can reach Great Cotes somedays.  This new road would take a lot of traffic away towards Bradley, that would otherwise have to go into town.

Quoted from horsforthmariner

Am I the only person who doesn't want to move?

I like the fact that our stadium is vintage. I'm doubtful post pandemic that many of the sources of revenue that a new stadium would bring (meeting rooms) are as viable as they once were and I just don't see how heaping a load of debt onto the club helps us on the pitch.

I've said this elsewhere and I'm happy to take the red crosses...

BP is one of the few areas of supporting Town where I have no rose coloured specs or heart over head. It isn't "vintage". It's a f*cking sh*thole. I am embarrassed by the place, it's like watching sport on a dystopian science fiction movie set. It is the last word on where we are as a club, decrepit and badly needing a major overhaul.

As facilities at other leisure pursuits get better and more comfortable BP just looks worse and worse.

Quoted from mimma

Have you ever driven into town from the M180 in the afternoon?  The tailback can reach Great Cotes somedays.  This new road would take a lot of traffic away towards Bradley, that would otherwise have to go into town.

Surely any traffic heading towards Bradley would have got off the M/A180 long before the 'town'? My folks live in Waltham and I wouldn't dream of going into town to get there (off at Barnetby Top).

Quoted from grimsby pete

All of our happy memories are at Blundell Park and some not so good ones as well.

I think it could be a few more years before a new stadium is built.

So while we are waiting why not do the park up a bit ?

Extending the main stand or even knocking it down and having a new one might be the way forward.

Extend the pontoon so all of that end of the ground is covered in.

That will take the ground capacity to between 11,000 - 12,500.

That gives us a few years before a new ground is required.

Then when we have all the finance sorted and how a new stadium will work we can think about where we should put it.

Brentford who will be playing in the premier next season chose to build their ground in the tight space that was available so what's the rush it will be another 5 or 6 years at least before we get to the premier .

Brentford's ground may well be in a tight space but it's completely new and built on a brownfield site - it was tight because it's between 2 railway lines and a road. It's a shortish walk away from Griffin Park.

It's also a community stadium built alongside the council.

Quoted from BobbyCummingsTackle

I don't live in Grimsby so this is the first I've heard of this 'plan' and my immediate reaction was 'a road from Morrisons to the A180? What the f*ck do they want for, it's a road from nowhere to nowhere'. And it's not like the road's needed to ease massive congestion.

The route comes with new housing estates planed on one side, 2 land owners joining forces for the good of the community their bank account.


https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/grimsby-news/petition-sparks-up-stop-3800-5448933

Quoted from diehardmariner

Is Blundell Park impossible to rebuild?

I fully appreciate there's going to be limitations but this was the line that was continually pushed out by the Fenty and his mob.  The new owners, especially AP, are experienced in regeneration as far as I'm aware and will have a far greater insight into what can and can't be done at Blundell Park.

Whatever happens, Blundell Park needs to be used more than just on matchdays.  The location and access to parking will be the biggest obstacle to that I'd imagine.  

The council can get copulated though.  Tired of their faux interest in the club.  That bloody palm tree sums them up.

I can remember in the late 70's - early 80's you had to get to BP at about 2pm to get parked up. Gates of around 10,000 were common. Location and parking in those days were not a problem and residents accepted it as part of living near BP.

Today is a different world, many want to park on the doorstep and can't be ar sed to walk more than 50 yds. My mate and I used to park on Queen Mary Ave or Park St if we could and walk to BP.

I agree with what you've said about BP being used more for nonfootball activities which of course would bring in more revenue which the club needs. I think our new owners are more in tune with this which will hopefully bring back the crowds to BP on match days.

The council / engie are great at getting funding look at all the new work in Town, Toll Bar, Littlecoats Road, A18 widening, St James Church, New Bridge over the Treshney, upgraded estate road 2, immingham business park., Laceby A180 link road, Cleethorpes sea front all government funded they could get serious funding for a new stadium.
After all Boris is a town fan.

If has to be on the docks train station there and tied in with a marina extension bars flats and new business opportunities.

I wouldn't talk to that useless scheming cover up toss pot at all if they could help it,  they have the funding opportunities but are squandering it hand over fist.
The Palm Tree......not going to happen now as they have over spent elsewhere, they already have spent and installed the granite/marble markers every 100m or so down the length of the prom leading you to the palm tree site, they will now have to come up.....useless tw@ts.....they even laid them at the wrong distances so would have to have been changed....
The wrong materials being specified on the new seafront furniture....
Top town,i am reliably informed that the Garth Lane development is already way over budget and there is hardly anything showing as yet.....
The town centre development with cinema and open air food village ya de yada going back to the drawing board....
The biggest potential pot of money this town is ever likely to see and it's being wasted away by useless people like Jackson who just dont have a clue. ......should we be surprised when we consider who up until not long ago was the portfolio holder for regeneration ??


I have also heard a whisper that the council may consider a large allotment site not a million miles from b.p could be offered for the location of a new training ground/ complex.

I'm glad the idea of remaining at BP is on the agenda. Fenty shot me down at a Fans Forum when I suggested it. There is loads of parking a short walk away (Ramsdens, Docks etc).

If you could extend the Findus to cover the length of the pitch and redevelop the Main Stand and Osmond to also go full length but maintaining its small height you should get to 11-12k I would have thought.

Develop BP, I know this could only be limited but pull down the main and osmond and rebuild tadge up the other bits.
If it ever comes to moving on then it has to be an in Town stadium.
Never ever ever a soulless excrement house out of Town.

Develop BP, I know this could only be limited but pull down the main and osmond and rebuild tadge up the other bits.
If it ever comes to moving on then it has to be an in Town stadium.
Never ever ever a soulless excrement house out of Town.

BP is a shadow of its former self and desperately needs some investment if we're staying for another 5 years (which we definitely are).  Its big open corners create a very windy, soulless atmosphere.  Filling them in with something would go some way to improving the experience and be a worthwhile short-term investment.

That being said, a new stadium will be needed at some point.  Can't see a full redevelopment of BP being feasible and its location isn't great.  If we want a modern club which can attract new fans in 10/20 years' time, new facilities are a must.  I understand that recent plans have been a waste of resources and there should be other priorities right now, but I don't think we can pretend that BP will ever be suitable for the club we hope to be.

Quoted from oochiad

Your not the only one Horsforthmariner, I want to stay put also for the time being........we need to sort lots of other stuff out first......

Me too. A soulless identikit stadium can wait. If it's an out of town soulless identikit stadium it can wait forever.

Quoted from MarinerDevil

BP is a shadow of its former self and desperately needs some investment if we're staying for another 5 years (which we definitely are).  Its big open corners create a very windy, soulless atmosphere.  Filling them in with something would go some way to improving the experience and be a worthwhile short-term investment.

That being said, a new stadium will be needed at some point.  Can't see a full redevelopment of BP being feasible and its location isn't great.  If we want a modern club which can attract new fans in 10/20 years' time, new facilities are a must.  I understand that recent plans have been a waste of resources and there should be other priorities right now, but I don't think we can pretend that BP will ever be suitable for the club we hope to be.

This is my view as well. I don't believe a new stadium has been put on the "back burner" by 1878. Not an immediate priority doesn't mean they won't be looking at options behind the scenes. AP said it has to make financial sense for the club. There is more money now for regeneration projects than there has been for long time - that opportunity cannot be ignored and Gy and Clee needs a community stadium as a centrepiece for football, other sport and culture. A structured leasing deal, with a very affordable base rent and some kind of turnover top-up should be very doable for GTFC as part of this. In the meantime, yes we need to make more of BP - including doing something with the corners at the Pontoon end

Standing in the Pontoon, Osmond and corners. £5 kids, tenner for adults.

BP is completely inappropriate for modern day.

The pontoon and lower Findus are fine.

The open corners are embarrassing.

The main and osmond are a huge fire risk and need ripping down.

The upper Findus is a terrible risk. The exits are simply not suitable for the capacity, it takes ages to get out. If there was an urgent need for the masses to escape for whatever reason, there would be casualties.

BP can’t be rescued.

Forget redeveloping BP thats totally pie in the sky. We need a new stadium full stop. The ground has to last st least the next 60 years and offer much  more than we've currently got.

One thing that I think may instantly make the ground look better would be to replace all of the decades old red seating and replace it with black and white double alternating columns like the Pontoon with the letters of GTFC in NEW red SEATS across all the stands.
Black letters in red seats in the Lower Youngs doesn't do it for me personally. White letters slightly better and more readable

I don't get this "soulless identikit stadium" bit. It's not the stadium that creates atmosphere at a game, it' the fans.

As for out of town, Grimsby town centre is against the Humber, and is not surrounded by land on all sides, so you don't have to move very far from town before you are out of it. The majority of fans nowadays travel by car to matches anyway, so being a mile further out won't make that much of a difference Better transport links are what's needed to get fans back into town.. There is no perfect site in Grimsby that ticks all the boxes, where ever it gets built, it will have to be a compromise. The docks is everyone's favourite, but it is valuable industrial land owned by ABP, who might not want to sell, or have a stadium on their land, and would be expensive to buy or rent.

I don't envy the new board for the choices they have to make, they will have to plans for the next fifty or more years, and take into account where the town itself is going. Where ever they choose, they will be controversial, and there will be complaints of one sort or another from fans.

Staggered to read that so many are happy to stay at Blundell Park. Shortsighted? Misguided? A little bit selfish?

What about the lost thousands that see BP for what it is.. an absolute shitehole? Without them returning the club will never progress. Just a venue for an ageing old boys club getting misty eyed about long gone memories of a stadium that has seen much better days and much better football.

And all this talk about having to self-finance £30m plus and getting the club into debt? A good proportion can be raised through Football Foundation grants and the like.. and also if the stadium is community based, from local and national government grants too. JS has already stated that he's looking for investors to come on board to move the club infrastructure forward and it seems we have a council willing to be involved in a community stadium. It's not going to happen overnight, but I think we're closer than we've ever been to finding a new GTFC home that isn't going to put the club under too much pressure financially.

The mindset of the ageing hardcore needs to change. It doesn't really matter what they want or need, it's what's needed to attract the absent thousands and future generations of potential fans who will be born in and around NE Lincs or have exiles as parents. Tarting up Blundell Park isn't going to cut it, a new centrally located stadium is a must in the next five to ten years..

Quoted from Bigdog

Staggered to read that so many are happy to stay at Blundell Park. Shortsighted? Misguided? A little bit selfish?

What about the lost thousands that see BP for what it is.. an absolute shitehole? Without them returning the club will never progress. Just a venue for an ageing old boys club getting misty eyed about long gone memories of a stadium that has seen much better days and much better football.

And all this talk about having to self-finance £30m plus and getting the club into debt? A good proportion can be raised through Football Foundation grants and the like.. and also if the stadium is community based, from local and national government. JS has already stated that he's looking for investors to come on board to move the club infrastructure forward and it seems we have a council willing to be involved in a community stadium. It's not going to happen overnight, but I think we're closer than we've ever been to finding a new GTFC home that isn't going to put the club under too much pressure financially.

The mindset of the ageing hardcore needs to change. It doesn't really matter what they want or need, it's what's needed to attract the absent thousands and future generations of potential fans who will be born in and around NE Lincs or have exiles as parents. Tarting up Blundell Park isn't going to cut it, a new centrally located stadium is a must in the next five to ten years..

I don’t think folk would disagree but instead of chasing a pipe dream with literally no idea how to fund it or just spunking club cash up the wall, the new owners will be much more calculated and cautious. They haven’t put a time frame on anything and I suspect they’d be interested in a centrally located stadium rather than some uninspiring out of town type place...

.... amd I’d have thought that a stadium in the town is more likely to get state funding as it’ll help regenerate the place. Out of town just contributes to the doughnut effect.

Quoted from Bigdog

Staggered to read that so many are happy to stay at Blundell Park. Shortsighted? Misguided? A little bit selfish?

What about the lost thousands that see BP for what it is.. an absolute shitehole? Without them returning the club will never progress. Just a venue for an ageing old boys club getting misty eyed about long gone memories of a stadium that has seen much better days and much better football.

And all this talk about having to self-finance £30m plus and getting the club into debt? A good proportion can be raised through Football Foundation grants and the like.. and also if the stadium is community based, from local and national government grants too. JS has already stated that he's looking for investors to come on board to move the club infrastructure forward and it seems we have a council willing to be involved in a community stadium. It's not going to happen overnight, but I think we're closer than we've ever been to finding a new GTFC home that isn't going to put the club under too much pressure financially.

The mindset of the ageing hardcore needs to change. It doesn't really matter what they want or need, it's what's needed to attract the absent thousands and future generations of potential fans who will be born in and around NE Lincs or have exiles as parents. Tarting up Blundell Park isn't going to cut it, a new centrally located stadium is a must in the next five to ten years..

I wouldn't dispute that BP is far from ideal in terms of parking, infrastructure etc... And yes, it's shabby, crumbling down in parts and dirty. But - and this is important for a lot of football fans in an era when the game is becoming increasingly sanitised and gentrified - it's authentic and the Main Stand, thought to be the oldest stand in the football league (up until last season), in my humble opinion is something we should treasure while we can.

My other reservation about concentrating too much time and energy on a new stadium is what good is a brand spanking new stadium if we're rotting away in non league for the next 5+ years. That ridiculously empty stadium in Darlington springs to mind. Obviously our new stadium would be about half that size though.

In terms of the words identikit, soulless, sterile etc... Southampton's ground is identical to Leicester's, other than the colour of the seats and the carpet the players walk out onto the pitch on.

I've seen the Saints a few times at St Mary's and it just feels like the stadium IKEA built. It's characterless with no individuality. I suppose it's horses for courses though. Some folk would happily bulldoze the Main Stand if it meant they could get served at the bar five minutes quicker at halftime.

I've not looked into this but I'd be fairly confident most football fans, with the exception of possibly Spurs and Man City,  would rather still be at their old grounds, especially West Ham and Arsenal.

The other problem is new stadia quickly looks dated. Look at the Emirates - not a patch on the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

I'm certainly not opposed to us going to a new stadium - I recognise that we need to in the long-term but just don't think it's a priority when we're going to be regularly getting sub 4k crowds.

I also think there's scope for safe standing in sections of the Pontoon and Osmond which would be a real novelty for our younger fan base during the non league years.

I did like the architect's plans of the trawler shaped stadium - that would be great.

In terms of location, it has to be the docks or failing that, Freeman St, which is currently twinned with Chernobyl.

Laceby Acres Mariners playing at the Morrison's Stadium doesn't do it for me.

UTM!

Quoted from aldi_01

I don’t think folk would disagree but instead of chasing a pipe dream with literally no idea how to fund it or just spunking club cash up the wall, the new owners will be much more calculated and cautious. They haven’t put a time frame on anything and I suspect they’d be interested in a centrally located stadium rather than some uninspiring out of town type place...

Why do some people insist that a new stadium for Grimsby Town is a "pipe dream" or that "how to fund it" is some massive unanswered conundrum?

Arsenal
Brentford
Brighton & Hove Albion
Leicester City
Manchester City
Southampton
Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United
AFC Bournemouth
Cardiff City
Coventry City
Derby County
Huddersfield Town
Hull City
Middlesbrough
Millwall
Reading
Stoke City
Swansea City
AFC Wimbledon
Bolton Wanderers
Burton Albion
Doncaster Rovers
Milton Keynes Dons
Morecambe
Oxford United
Rotherham United
Shrewsbury Town
Sunderland
Wigan Athletic
Colchester United
Forest Green Rovers
Northampyton Town
Scunthorpe United
Walsall
Barnet
Chesterfield
Yeovil Town
AFC Fylde
AFC Telford United
Boston United
Chester
York City
Maidstone United

At least 44 new football stadiums built in England in my lifetime that are EFL standard (45 if you count Darlington). And then there are Rugby-only stadiums that have been built in that time like Salford, St Helens, Warrington, Widnes & Leigh. And then there are the countless other clubs who have totally rebuilt their grounds in that era too (Preston North End, Leeds Rhinos etc...)

If building a new stadium is a pipe dream and how to fund one such a problem, how have the 50 new stadia I have listed above been built?

Quoted from GollyGTFC

Why do some people insist that a new stadium for Grimsby Town is a "pipe dream" or that "how to fund it" is some massive unanswered conundrum?

Arsenal
Brentford
Brighton & Hove Albion
Leicester City
Manchester City
Southampton
Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United
AFC Bournemouth
Cardiff City
Coventry City
Derby County
Huddersfield Town
Hull City
Middlesbrough
Millwall
Reading
Stoke City
Swansea City
AFC Wimbledon
Bolton Wanderers
Burton Albion
Doncaster Rovers
Milton Keynes Dons
Morecambe
Oxford United
Rotherham United
Shrewsbury Town
Sunderland
Wigan Athletic
Colchester United
Forest Green Rovers
Northampyton Town
Scunthorpe United
Walsall
Barnet
Chesterfield
Yeovil Town
AFC Fylde
AFC Telford United
Boston United
Chester
York City
Maidstone United

At least 44 new football stadiums built in England in my lifetime that are EFL standard (45 if you count Darlington). And then there are Rugby-only stadiums that have been built in that time like Salford, St Helens, Warrington, Widnes & Leigh. And then there are the countless other clubs who have totally rebuilt their grounds in that era too (Preston North End, Leeds Rhinos etc...)

If building a new stadium is a pipe dream and how to fund one such a problem, how have the 50 new stadia I have listed above been built?

I don’t think it’s a pipe dream...not with these guys anyway. I mean the previous incumbents who literally had zero idea of what they were doing...it never got beyond a Roy of the rovers drawing in the telewag.

Agree with those that have put about throwing money at BP, I personally see this as wasted money. But if all you can afford is a mk2 astra, then make the most of it until the option to upgrade to an 80k motor is viable.

Out of town, for me, doesn’t work. It’s probably the cheaper option, but at the detriment and expense of the fans. There’s something heartwarming about a ground in the heart of the community and being able to walk or drive past it day or night. Seeing the floodlights always gave me a feeling of excitement that can’t be replaced anywhere. In fact, it still does.

Am sure that AP and JS know what they are doing and won’t jeopardise the club when in all fairness, a new ground isn’t a priority. YET!

Quoted from WOZOFGRIMSBY

Agree with those that have put about throwing money at BP, I personally see this as wasted money. But if all you can afford is a mk2 astra, then make the most of it until the option to upgrade to an 80k motor is viable.

Out of town, for me, doesn’t work. It’s probably the cheaper option, but at the detriment and expense of the fans. There’s something heartwarming about a ground in the heart of the community and being able to walk or drive past it day or night. Seeing the floodlights always gave me a feeling of excitement that can’t be replaced anywhere. In fact, it still does.

Am sure that AP and JS know what they are doing and won’t jeopardise the club when in all fairness, a new ground isn’t a priority. YET!

Some b*st*rd will only scratch it.

The Astra will get scratched as well but it obviously isn’t as important.

The council need to acquire the land the other side of the railway tracks..build a car park for the yorkies in the summer..this will produce a footfall at the "dead end" of the seafront and businesses will soon follow(not some stupid palm tree)..in the winter in could be reserved for town on match days.

Quoted from WOZOFGRIMSBY

Agree with those that have put about throwing money at BP, I personally see this as wasted money. But if all you can afford is a mk2 astra, then make the most of it until the option to upgrade to an 80k motor is viable.

Out of town, for me, doesn’t work. It’s probably the cheaper option, but at the detriment and expense of the fans. There’s something heartwarming about a ground in the heart of the community and being able to walk or drive past it day or night. Seeing the floodlights always gave me a feeling of excitement that can’t be replaced anywhere. In fact, it still does.

Am sure that AP and JS know what they are doing and won’t jeopardise the club when in all fairness, a new ground isn’t a priority. YET!

I'm not sure that BP is at "the heart of the community". Surely that's Freeman St or Saint Peter's Ave or somewhere near the River Head or the docks.

When I walk to BP from the direction of Grimsby I don't get a warm and fuzzy moment when I see the lights, I worry I'm going to get mugged and will my car have been torched when I get back to it.

There's a lot of rose tinted specs on here.

Quoted from BobbyCummingsTackle

I'm not sure that BP is at "the heart of the community". Surely that's Freeman St or Saint Peter's Ave or somewhere near the River Head or the docks.

When I walk to BP from the direction of Grimsby I don't get a warm and fuzzy moment when I see the lights, I worry I'm going to get mugged and will my car have been torched when I get back to it.

There's a lot of rose tinted specs on here.

Extreme...

Quoted from BobbyCummingsTackle

When I walk to BP from the direction of Grimsby I don't get a warm and fuzzy moment when I see the lights, I worry I'm going to get mugged and will my car have been torched when I get back to it.

You need to stop parking on Rutland Street.

Or he needs to approach the ground from the Cleethorpes side. Us Meggies are much more civilised 😉

Quoted from KingstonMariner

Or he needs to approach the ground from the Cleethorpes side. Us Meggies are much more civilised 😉

More than often I would be ( more often than not after one or two sherbets! Ok seven or eight)

Just tear everything down between corpo Rd and the a180 and job done.
Loads of room and great transport links. Sod east marsh area it’s had its chance to better itself.

Wonder where fenty will wiggle in , Dont believe for one minute he wont worm his way in to somethingto do with this regen thing

Quoted from GollyGTFC

Why do some people insist that a new stadium for Grimsby Town is a "pipe dream" or that "how to fund it" is some massive unanswered conundrum?

Arsenal
Brentford
Brighton & Hove Albion
Leicester City
Manchester City
Southampton
Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United
AFC Bournemouth
Cardiff City
Coventry City
Derby County
Huddersfield Town
Hull City
Middlesbrough
Millwall
Reading
Stoke City
Swansea City
AFC Wimbledon
Bolton Wanderers
Burton Albion
Doncaster Rovers
Milton Keynes Dons
Morecambe
Oxford United
Rotherham United
Shrewsbury Town
Sunderland
Wigan Athletic
Colchester United
Forest Green Rovers
Northampyton Town
Scunthorpe United
Walsall
Barnet
Chesterfield
Yeovil Town
AFC Fylde
AFC Telford United
Boston United
Chester
York City
Maidstone United

At least 44 new football stadiums built in England in my lifetime that are EFL standard (45 if you count Darlington). And then there are Rugby-only stadiums that have been built in that time like Salford, St Helens, Warrington, Widnes & Leigh. And then there are the countless other clubs who have totally rebuilt their grounds in that era too (Preston North End, Leeds Rhinos etc...)

If building a new stadium is a pipe dream and how to fund one such a problem, how have the 50 new stadia I have listed above been built?

Turf Moor and St James' Park (Newcastle) are the two best rebuild in situ jobs - both are right in the heart of town / city. For rugby Welford Road has been 3/4 rebuilt also right in the middle of the city. It makes match-day special - all the fans in the centre. Same with national stadia - Millenium and Lansdown so much better match-day experiences than Wembley or Twickenham. Freemo for me.

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

Turf Moor and St James' Park (Newcastle) are the two best rebuild in situ jobs - both are right in the heart of town / city. For rugby Welford Road has been 3/4 rebuilt also right in the middle of the city. It makes match-day special - all the fans in the centre. Same with national stadia - Millenium and Lansdown so much better match-day experiences than Wembley or Twickenham. Freemo for me.

Welford rd Is still not a patch on kingsholm though 😉

Quoted from denni266

Wonder where fenty will wiggle in , Dont believe for one minute he wont worm his way in to somethingto do with this regen thing

Have you not read Denni his palm tree aint happening

Quoted from WOZOFGRIMSBY

Welford rd Is still not a patch on kingsholm though 😉

If we could have a new stadium at Freemo with a terrace like the Shed down one side I'd be delighted, with the "Mariners" sung as loud as "Glawster"...

Quoted from 1mickylyons

Have you not read Denni his palm tree aint happening

Lol Thought that was for his front lawn  

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

Turf Moor and St James' Park (Newcastle) are the two best rebuild in situ jobs - both are right in the heart of town / city. For rugby Welford Road has been 3/4 rebuilt also right in the middle of the city. It makes match-day special - all the fans in the centre. Same with national stadia - Millenium and Lansdown so much better match-day experiences than Wembley or Twickenham. Freemo for me.

Turf Moor has 2 old stands that haven’t been rebuilt post-Taylor Report & Newcastle only rebuilt 3 stands and the bottom tier of the 4th stand.

And I don’t think Freeman Street is a suitable location for the stadium. The site is far better suited to some modern social housing in keeping with the residential properties that neighbour the site.

As someone who’s never lived in Grimsby and is always a visitor to the town, I think the Fish Dock 3 site is perfect especially with a redeveloped Ice House next door.

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

If we could have a new stadium at Freemo with a terrace like the Shed down one side I'd be delighted, with the "Mariners" sung as loud as "Glawster"...

Been fortunate to have had many an afternoon/evening on ‘the shed’. For me, and slightly biased about it, no ground in rugby comes close to it for atmosphere

Quoted from 1mickylyons

Have you not read Denni his palm tree aint happening

Only Fenty could spend that money on something so gaudy.  

Don't have much faith the money will be spent on anything Cleethorpes actually needs either way, I'm sure they'll take 600k and splash it on light shows and other dumb showy things like "modern art sculptures" and murals that don't add anything to the resort. If they want to improve tourism how about spending money on attractions, maybe get rid of the 100 year old attractions on the beach and build something new for people to enjoy. Not spend the money on stupid art projects that nobody cares about.

Quoted from Kris2

Only Fenty could spend that money on something so gaudy.  

Don't have much faith the money will be spent on anything Cleethorpes actually needs either way, I'm sure they'll take 600k and splash it on light shows and other dumb showy things like "modern art sculptures" and murals that don't add anything to the resort. If they want to improve tourism how about spending money on attractions, maybe get rid of the 100 year old attractions on the beach and build something new for people to enjoy. Not spend the money on stupid art projects that nobody cares about.

I think virtually everybody agrees with you. But when the government give money assigned to the arts, you have to spend it on that.

Quoted from pen penfras

I think virtually everybody agrees with you. But when the government give money assigned to the arts, you have to spend it on that.

Nice holiday under your rock?

Quoted from WOZOFGRIMSBY

Been fortunate to have had many an afternoon/evening on ‘the shed’. For me, and slightly biased about it, no ground in rugby comes close to it for atmosphere

Agreed. Gloucester is an anomaly as it's a rugby union club in England with a significant working class following.

Quoted from Kris2

Only Fenty could spend that money on something so gaudy.  

Don't have much faith the money will be spent on anything Cleethorpes actually needs either way, I'm sure they'll take 600k and splash it on light shows and other dumb showy things like "modern art sculptures" and murals that don't add anything to the resort. If they want to improve tourism how about spending money on attractions, maybe get rid of the 100 year old attractions on the beach and build something new for people to enjoy. Not spend the money on stupid art projects that nobody cares about.

I’m not defending the palm tree, but the attractions on the beach are private businesses. The council won’t be investing in anything like that. Their role is providing the overall environment to attract visitors.

And to be fair to pp in a later comment, money for public art must be spent on that or handed back.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

I’m not defending the palm tree, but the attractions on the beach are private businesses. The council won’t be investing in anything like that. Their role is providing the overall environment to attract visitors.

And to be fair to pp in a later comment, money for public art must be spent on that or handed back.

Well if we need to spend it on art can't we just stick an expensive metallic blob (modern art sculpture) in the middle of the seafront and be done with it? That's what all the big cities of culture do. At least it wouldn't be a laughing stock and would bring more affluent folk over who like that sort of thing.

Out of curiosity who is responsible for the eyesores on the beach that everyone's parents and grandparents probably worked on as kids?

Quoted from Withnail

Agreed. Gloucester is an anomaly as it's a rugby union club in England with a significant working class following.

The 4,000 people that stand on Leicester's Crumbie Terrace are not posh I can assure you...

Back on topic. We need two big stands - a minimum 5k seat capacity down one side is needed to create a big enough under stand area for conferencing and community uses, and an away end with 3k capacity. Apart from that two smaller stands that are mainly safe standing would be fine for me - that will get us the 14k that we need. There's enough vacant land adjoining Freeman Street now for that kind of stadium and some parking. The council can get on with other land acquisitions to expand the regeneration area while the stadium is being built.

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

The 4,000 people that stand on Leicester's Crumbie Terrace are not posh I can assure you...

Back on topic. We need two big stands - a minimum 5k seat capacity down one side is needed to create a big enough under stand area for conferencing and community uses, and an away end with 3k capacity. Apart from that two smaller stands that are mainly safe standing would be fine for me - that will get us the 14k that we need. There's enough vacant land adjoining Freeman Street now for that kind of stadium and some parking. The council can get on with other land acquisitions to expand the regeneration area while the stadium is being built.

What you are saying is the basis of a good plan. However you have to consider the cost, I believe £20 million was quoted some years ago for the Gt Coates site.

Presumably, the land would be free! being council and money from regeneration would help. I don't know if FA grants are available but the rest of the money would have to be found. So there will be a shortfall of a few million quid.

The problem as I see it at the moment is where is the shortfall going to come from?

Quoted from DB

What you are saying is the basis of a good plan. However you have to consider the cost, I believe £20 million was quoted some years ago for the Gt Coates site.

Presumably, the land would be free! being council and money from regeneration would help. I don't know if FA grants are available but the rest of the money would have to be found. So there will be a shortfall of a few million quid.

The problem as I see it at the moment is where is the shortfall going to come from?

I'd hope most of it would come from the public sector - central government grant and prudential borrowing by the Council, with Town taking a lease and perhaps paying for the GTFC specific bits of the fit out - club shop, ticket office etc. One precedent is the deal West Ham have on the Olympic Stadium, I'm sure there are others.

This stadium is a good precedent, Northampton Saints - circa 15k capacity. Replace the seats at the smaller end with safe standing as the Pontoon. The end with Saints on the seats would be the away end. Atmosphere is great - all kept in the stadium

[url]https://www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/club/our-stadium[/url]

Quoted from Kris2

Only Fenty could spend that money on something so gaudy.  

Don't have much faith the money will be spent on anything Cleethorpes actually needs either way, I'm sure they'll take 600k and splash it on light shows and other dumb showy things like "modern art sculptures" and murals that don't add anything to the resort. If they want to improve tourism how about spending money on attractions, maybe get rid of the 100 year old attractions on the beach and build something new for people to enjoy. Not spend the money on stupid art projects that nobody cares about.

Funny thing Kris but currently the biggest attraction in Cleethorpes is a hut put together by locals at no cost at all?

I am an art teacher by training and have had many a vigorous debate about the value of public art. Truth is that most of it is rubbish at best, insulting at worst and commissioned and made by people with very little understanding of the location or the possible benefits and making a connection between those two things. Artists are not people you can rely on to think in practical terms, on most occasions. But the people who commision public art certainly should be. Instead of conceptiual plastic stuff, why can't public art take the form of, say a series of wooden benches with carvings of different famous GY trawlers? Or maybe use the money to have the prow of an old trawler bolted into the Northwall as a viewing platform? Palm trees, no thanks. Politicians selling the idea of plastic palm trees to a disbelieving Cleethorpes public? No thanks. But public art can be both evocative of place and heritage as well as serving a public good, in my humble opinion.

Quoted from Kris2

Well if we need to spend it on art can't we just stick an expensive metallic blob (modern art sculpture) in the middle of the seafront and be done with it? That's what all the big cities of culture do. At least it wouldn't be a laughing stock and would bring more affluent folk over who like that sort of thing.

Out of curiosity who is responsible for the eyesores on the beach that everyone's parents and grandparents probably worked on as kids?

Like I said, but m not defending the tree, so you’re barking up the wrong one 😆

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

I'd hope most of it would come from the public sector - central government grant and prudential borrowing by the Council, with Town taking a lease and perhaps paying for the GTFC specific bits of the fit out - club shop, ticket office etc. One precedent is the deal West Ham have on the Olympic Stadium, I'm sure there are others.

This stadium is a good precedent, Northampton Saints - circa 15k capacity. Replace the seats at the smaller end with safe standing as the Pontoon. The end with Saints on the seats would be the away end. Atmosphere is great - all kept in the stadium

[url]https://www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/club/our-stadium[/url]

Are you suggesting we should have safe standing? I thought that idea has been knocked on the head because we’re not allowed to because when the Taylor Report came out we were in the second tier, and are therefore doomed to be all-seater for eternity.

Surely this could be questioned by those in charge now . Just because we were in the second tier then , we haven’t been anywhere near it for years with little likelihood in the near future. A safe standing terrace down the side to replace the main would be a cost effective way of doing an upgrade to BP for the next few years as it seems unlikely we’ll be moving for a bit . Possibly even a stand that could be moved in some way even ?

Quoted from KingstonMariner

Are you suggesting we should have safe standing? I thought that idea has been knocked on the head because we’re not allowed to because when the Taylor Report came out we were in the second tier, and are therefore doomed to be all-seater for eternity.

We've moved on considerably since then. There are various discussions taking place about it. Celtic installed a section of safe standing in 2016. Man City are planning it too.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/amp/football/43589867

There's no reason why we couldn't have it (Morecambe already have it), especially in a new stadium (or stand, for that matter) where it could be factored into the plans.

Not sure why people think this council will do some "prudential borrowing" and the public sector is absolutely strapped for cash so won't hold out much hope for anything from that area. I would also think it would be better if GTFC were in control of the project and not dependent on the Council as I am sure that the new board is more experienced with attracting funding from various sources to at some point in the future look towards a new ground. However, is this the right time to be seriously looking or should the board concentrate more on the immediate issue of supporting the manager to rebuild the team and get the club back into the football league?

The council will get the grant though. The Levelling Up Fund can’t go to a private company Prudential borrowing would be the top up of investment needed and covered by the rent that GTFC would pay. West Ham originally paid only £2.5 million rent for a 60k capacity stadium. So GTFC would need to pay about £500k per annum - circa £35 per seat / terrace place - is that affordable? May be it could be a lower starting rent plus the turnover top up.

I should add, of course, that we don't need to speculate about this stuff - we now have competent people on the Board with proper expertise in these areas...

For me, the key point is that I'd like to see safe standing at Blundell Park in the interim and then built into the plans for a new stadium and my preference on location is off Freeman Street.

AP is a property developer,  I am sure he will have it all worked out what can and can't be done. I trust him to come up with a suitable plan and financial package to move the new stadium forward more than those on here who haven't got a clue as to what is involved.

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

The council will get the grant though. The Levelling Up Fund can’t go to a private company Prudential borrowing would be the top up of investment needed and covered by the rent that GTFC would pay. West Ham originally paid only £2.5 million rent for a 60k capacity stadium. So GTFC would need to pay about £500k per annum - circa £35 per seat / terrace place - is that affordable? May be it could be a lower starting rent plus the turnover top up.

I should add, of course, that we don't need to speculate about this stuff - we now have competent people on the Board with proper expertise in these areas...

For me, the key point is that I'd like to see safe standing at Blundell Park in the interim and then built into the plans for a new stadium and my preference on location is off Freeman Street.

£500K per annum divided by 23 home games (not allowing for cups etc.) is £21,739 divided by an average gate 3,500 is about £6 per seat or just over £5 with a 4,000  ave. gate.

I don't think this is sustainable at present, however, London rents are not Grimsby rents so something a lot less in rent, say £125K may be feasible, just. At the end of the day, the council could also collect revenue from car parking, etc.

Quoted from DB

£500K per annum divided by 23 home games (not allowing for cups etc.) is £21,739 divided by an average gate 3,500 is about £6 per seat or just over £5 with a 4,000  ave. gate.

I don't think this is sustainable at present, however, London rents are not Grimsby rents so something a lot less in rent, say £125K may be feasible, just. At the end of the day, the council could also collect revenue from car parking, etc.

Could also add conferencing facilities into the design &  retail & hospitality units around the ground floor level. A decent live music venue with around 1000 standing capacity wouldnt go a miss either. All we have at the moment is the auditorium with 2000 standing cap and docks academy with 300 standing capacity. The town misses out on so many bands routing tours via Grimsby with no decent 500-1000 cap venue, I know this for a fact as it's my line of work & I've put 700 cap shows on in town before at the beachy, but it's far from ideal and very hard to break even when you have to hire in a decent sound and lighting system & pit barrier, it also has no dressing rooms and can only be hired out to promoters outside of the tourist season.