Citizen editor: Whether or not you're a Gloucester City fan, we should all back our local club
IN the middle of last year, The Citizen launched a campaign to bring our football club Gloucester City home to where they belong – in the heart of the city.
We called it Bring The Tigers Home.
It was backed by some of the most passionate fans you will see anywhere and, in a city obsessed by Gloucester Rugby, that is saying something.
In the finality, we have to say that the campaign failed. It failed not because of fan enthusiasm. It failed because it seemed there were unsurmountable planning obstacles in the way of the development of a new £5million stadium on the site of their Meadow Park ground.
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Those obstacles really revolved around the flood risks that had submerged the ground during the catastrophic floods of 2007, and opposition and problems over plans to build a new ground with adequate flood-relief precautions. That is now literally water under the bridge.
What is far more serious is that this famous old club could be only a month away from going out of business.
And we must not let that happen.
Whether you support The Tigers or not is really not the issue. The issue here is that we – and that means the city council, local businesses and the community – get together to ensure this club actually has a ground to play on.
It simply cannot go on "squatting" at Cheltenham Town's ground and running up thousands of pounds of debt in rent because Meadow Park has not been playable on since the floods.
The club's benefactor, plant hire boss Eamonn McGurk, has probably ploughed nearly £1,350,000 into the club over the years and cannot continue to do so. He cannot afford to top up the coffers when faced with a return of just £21 after one recent match when all the overheads were paid.
What is needed now is a concerted effort by local business, backed by the city council, to save this proud club from going out of business.
Can you help The Tigers survive? Contact me at Ian.Mean@glosmedia.co.uk.
3 Comments
by ColonelMassey
Tuesday, March 19 2013, 1:14PM
“Supporters of the club are grateful for any coverage. We would be even more grateful if, as a local business, Ian Mean and The Citizen could publish full or half page adverts to advertise games and to let people know that the football club exists.
People in this City seem apathetic and unware that they have a football club - a football club that is capable of Football League status - but only if people support the club in terms of turning up at matches, and better support from the local media. The FA Cup game against
Leyton Orient showed that there is a football supporting public in Gloucester. Cheltenham Town are not the only football club in Gloucestershire - which a Cheltenham-centric media seems bent on endorsing (one football club, one rugby club...). It is said the Gloucester is the largest City in the country without a Football League club. Other counties - eg Devon, have three professional Football League clubs as well as top flight rugby. There is no reason for this not to be the case in Gloucestershire - if the support is there. The Gloucester is a rugby only City doesn't wash. Gloucester RFC are a county-wide institution - football is unlikely to threaten Castle Grim and draw away crowds. The problem is people 'following' Premier League clubs rather than their home town clubs. They prefer to see themselves allied to the success of Man Urd/City/Arsenal/Liverpool etc rather than helping to develop and taking pride in their own club - whether it's Gloucester, Cheltenham, FGR. There is room for more than one professional football club in this county. Shame on the football public of Gloucester for not supporting their own home town club.”
by ColonelMassey
Tuesday, March 19 2013, 12:44PM
“Supporters of the club are grateful for any coverage. We would be even more grateful if, as a local business, Ian Mean and The Citizen could publish full or half page adverts for games.
People in this City seem unaware that they have a football club – and a football club that is capable of Football League status - but only if the support is there, including from the local media. Cheltenham Town are not the only football club in the county, something which a Cheltenham-centric media seems bent on endorsing. Gloucester is the largest city in the country without a Football League club. Other counties, eg Devon have three Football League clubs and top flight rugby clubs; there is no reason why this cannot be the case in Gloucestershire - if the support is there. Gloucester RFC are a county-wide institution - football is unlikely to threaten Castle Grim in terms of taking support away. There is room for more than one professional football club in this county. Shame on the people of Gloucester for 'following' Premier League football clubs and not supporting their own club.”
by Walker100
Monday, March 18 2013, 8:43AM
“As I have said previously, perhaps Mr McGurk should look at the causes of the flooding and think about taking civil action. It seems clear to me that when you build a land fill site covering dozens of acres on a floodplain then the water will go elsewhere nearby.”