Grimsby Town fans back stadium relocation

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Saturday, November 05, 2011
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Grimsby Telegraph

BOSSES at Grimsby Town say they are encouraged that their desire to relocate to a new community stadium appears to have the support of the fans.

Earlier this week, the club reiterated its intention to find a new home away from Blundell Park, saying that it was the "only way" of securing the club's future.

As reported, the Mariners announced that they intend to set up a separate community stadium with an aim of building a "multi-purpose venue".

With bosses remaining tight-lipped over a potential location for the project, we looked at some areas of the borough where the new stadium could be built, as well as asking for your suggestions.

The Telegraph was inundated with suggestions for possible sites, ranging from Freeman Street to one alongside Peaks Parkway, near to the YMCA.

One reader wrote: "If Grimsby Town are to prosper and, hopefully get back into the Football League, I feel the only site for a new stadium is on the docks estate, close to Riby Square.

"Enough time and money has already been spent chasing lost causes – build it now!"

A reader posting on www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk wrote: "I think King George V Stadium, linked to Clee Fields, would be an excellent location to create a multi-purpose football, training and mixed-use leisure facility."

However, some comments were not as positive.

One Mariners fan e-mailed to say: "Yes, it is time to move, but surely it would be better to get a decent team capable of filling a new stadium first.

"There is no point building a new ground while we are still non-league."

Speaking to the Telegraph, Grimsby Town chief executive Ian Fleming said it was "fantastic" to hear that interest in a new ground was high.

He said: "Our aspirations to relocate have never gone away and, as a club, we hope to do that in the near future.

"I think it is fantastic that everyone continues to support that ambition."

Mr Fleming was speaking after it was revealed that the club's application for Government funding to help with the costs of the new stadium had been rejected.

GTFC is believed to have made a bid in the region of £5 million to the Regional Growth Fund.

However, the club was not listed among the successful applicants to the scheme, when they were announced by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on Monday.

Mr Fleming said: "Obviously, the club is disappointed that its application for Government funding was unsuccessful at this time.

"However, there may be a another opportunity for us to resubmit our application, and we are optimistic about success with it in the future."

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17 Comments

  • Profile image for lee_GTFC1

    by lee_GTFC1

    Thursday, November 10 2011, 2:30AM

    “More jargon about a new stadium to deflect the only fact in this article...we're losing Blundell Park!!

    We won't have a club worthy of being called a football club by the time these clowns have finished...its an utter disgrace!

    Where are these fans that are in support of this?

    I knew this s**t was coming.”

  • Profile image for OBSERVER2011

    by OBSERVER2011

    Sunday, November 06 2011, 9:55PM

    “After all these years its about time Grimsby Town returned to Grimsby.
    The ideal site would in my opinion be the old Fish Dock area around the pontoon. Not only would this be a good site with access to fast roads via M18, but would also revitalise Freeman Street and Upper Cleethorpe Road areas.
    I wish the club all the success with this venture.
    Leeds Mariner”

  • Profile image for OBSERVER2011

    by OBSERVER2011

    Sunday, November 06 2011, 9:47PM

    “Its about time after all these years that Grimsby Town was re-established within Grimsby.
    The ideal site which would afford easy access for local and visiting fans , would be the filling in of the old pontoon area of the Fish Dock, which has motorway access over the fly-over.
    This would revitalise Freeman Street and also this part of outr once famous Fish Docks.
    Best wishes for this venture,
    Leeds Mariner”

  • Profile image for OBSERVER2011

    by OBSERVER2011

    Sunday, November 06 2011, 9:44PM

    “Its about time after all these years that Grimsby Town was re-established within Grimsby.
    The ideal site which would afford easy access for local and visiting fans , would be the filling in of the old pontoon area of the Fish Dock, which has motorway access over the fly-over.
    This would revitalise Freeman Street and also this part of outr once famous Fish Docks.
    Best wishes for this venture,
    Leeds Mariner”

  • Profile image for AAAAAAARGH

    by AAAAAAARGH

    Sunday, November 06 2011, 5:40PM

    “Glebe, the only thing you could do with Blundell Park is rebuild the Main Stand. Its current capacity is around 2,300. Extending it the full length of the pitch would make it around 3,000. If the residents behind it didn't object to a higher structure, maybe there could be a 4,000 capacity. However, there would still be no car parking provision, and there'd still be congestion on Grimsby/Cleethorpe Road. I don't think the club would do that.

    Really, the club should have left Blundell Park decades ago. They spent £1m, a considerable sum in 1982, to build the Findus, which I think was a mistake.”

  • Profile image for AAAAAAARGH

    by AAAAAAARGH

    Sunday, November 06 2011, 5:38PM

    “Glebe, the only thing you could do with Blundell Park is rebuild the Main Stand. Its current capacity is around 2,300. Extending it the full length of the pitch would make it around 3,000. If the residents behind it didn't object to a higher structure, maybe there could be a 4,000 capacity. However, there would still be no car parking provision, and there'd still be congestion on Grimsby/Cleethorpe Road. I don't think the club would do that.

    Really, the club should have left Blundell Park decades ago. They spent £1m, a considerable sum in 1982, to build the Findus, which I think was a mistake.”

  • Profile image for havntone

    by havntone

    Sunday, November 06 2011, 3:37PM

    “"The fans support a new stadium?". Where does the Grimsby Telegraph get these headlines from. I think Ian Fleming has been telling the GT a few porkies, first priority must be get a team thats capable of getting us out of non league football, there wont be any fans left soon.”

  • Profile image for Glebe82

    by Glebe82

    Sunday, November 06 2011, 3:17PM

    “It's bad enough watching the lifeless and souless football where we are, imagine what it would be like in a an empty mecano kit ground built on the cheap.

    All the time, effort and money spent on this pipedream would have been better directed thinking of ways to redevelop and improve Blundell Park.”

  • Profile image for Glebe82

    by Glebe82

    Sunday, November 06 2011, 3:14PM

    “It's bad enough watching the lifeless and souless football where we are, imagine what it would be like in a an empty mecano kit ground built on the cheap.

    All the time, effort and money spent on this pipedream would have been better directed thinking of ways to redevelop and improve Blundell Park.”

  • Profile image for thealmighty

    by thealmighty

    Sunday, November 06 2011, 9:33AM

    “someone is living in cloud cuckoo land,an playing with the fairyies”

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