Bristol R moving

Covered End

Bristol Rovers have announced plans to move to a new 20,000-seater stadium and will sell their current ground to fund the venue.

The League One club will sell the Memorial Stadium to help fund the building of a £40million arena on land acquired from the University of the West of England, subject to planning permission.Work on the project could start as early as next year with Rovers aiming to be playing in the new stadium during the 2013/14 season.Bristol Rugby Club, who currently share the Memorial Stadium, will also be invited to play in the new ground.Rovers chairman Nick Higgs said: "We have looked at several sites in Bristol and south Gloucestershire, but we felt this one ticked all the boxes to allow us to build the best possible stadium for Bristol Rovers."This is what the club have been striving towards for many years - to have the finances in place to construct a purpose-built stadium to help the club get moving in the right direction."

Friend Or Defoe

Yet another new design which will never get built.

Fanny Fanackapan

Didn't Luton have BIG plans for a new stadium some years back ?

 

Good luck to Brizzle though .

Rothko

I would suspect UWE are fronting up a load of the money for this

Salad

There's a lack of western teams in the Premier League, albeit Swansea are there now, so it would certainly be a good region to invest in a club.

Henry Irving

Weren't City planning a new ground?

Logic would say build one for both to share but tradition would say no.

Anyone know what the geography of support is for Rovers and City is across the city of Bristol and where the old and new stadia fit into it?

EastStand

My friend is from Glous, but not Bristol a small village about a half hour away, and all her family support Rovers. I think Rovers have more support outside of the city. 

Rothko

City have permission on Ashton Vale, but locals are trying to green field the site to block the development

Bagpuss

I know it is a very fierce rivalry so groundshare would be very unpopular - and I guess fi it was going to happen, it would have happened when Rovers left Eastville.

The Red Robin

Have they even got 20,000 fans? Is it any wonder so many clubs are in debt when they're wasting money like this. A ground share would be the most sensible option.

rikofold

A groundshare may reduce the cost burden but it also potentially halves the revenues associated with the ground itself.  I don't think a groundshare is necessarily the obvious solution, although if you're building a stadium from scratch it would certainly be an opportunity.

Technically Ashton Gate would probably be considered the true city location, although it's slightly outside to the south west, but most people would have found Eastville the most accessible, it being in the shadow of the M32 which is the motorway that joins the M4 with the centre of Bristol.  City is more fashionable though and traditionally the bigger club.  

Friend Or Defoe

Groundshares make sense but tradition is more important in this country.

nolly

My good mate is a city fan I don't think groundsharing with the gasheads is something he would be to keen on. City are a far bigger club support wise,rovers would struggle to fill that stadium even in the championship which is not happening prob ever

Airman Brown

Could make a good stat for Anoraks - how many people have seen CAFC play the same opposition on four different home grounds?

I've been to Eastville, Twerton Park and the Memorial Ground - each worse than the last as a football stadium, but none of them up to much.

Covered End

Been to Eastville & Twerton Park, didn't bother with The Memorial as I knew they would be moving, so it wouldn't count   :-)

AFKABartram

As shown on page 12 of the statbank, rovers averaged 52% of ground capacity last season. It will be even less in league two. You plan expansion when you are stable and in the way up, not on the way down.

EastTerrace

I think Covered End has seen us play at The Valley, Upton Park, Selhurst Park and The Mount

Covered End

I think Covered End has seen us play at The Valley, Upton Park, Selhurst Park and The Mount

Ha fookin ha !