Inside Meadow Park
This is the sad sight of Gloucester's hidden reminder of the floods of 2007.
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WASTELAND: Gloucester City's Meadow Park lies empty and overgrown two years after water swamped the pitch
Meadow Park lies empty and overgrown two years after water swamped the pitch and forced Gloucester City to play outside the city.
Yesterday The Citizen was allowed back inside the ground in Sudmeadow Road as Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, vowed to help bring the Tigers home.
With weeds towering high above the pitch and mounds of earth in the goal mouth Meadow Park is in a sorry state.
But owner Eamonn McGurk said he still hopes the Tigers can return to the ground in the future.
He said: "I believe we can do it. If we get all the ticks and everything is in place we have the right ingredients for success."
Mr McGurk, who accompanied Mr Benn, Gloucester MP Parmjit Dhanda, planning officers, planning consultants and officials from the Environment Agency, on a tour of Meadow Park said he appreciated the work being done to bring the Tigers home.
"I am pleased we have the opportunity to come back and there is serious interest from a cabinet member who has taken the time to come down here," he said.
"He has listened to us and asked about the club's results and our history.
"At the moment Meadow Park is an eyesore and they need to fix this problem. It is not just the football club it is the area surrounding the ground which could be fixed."
With Gloucester set to play next season at their adopted home ground in Cirencester bosses have previously said they intend to be back in the city by the beginning of the 2010/11 season.
The visit comes as the Tigers wait on the decision over which league they will play in next year.
The club is still in limbo as to whether they will face Blyth Spartans in the Blue Square Conference North or Bath City in the Blue Square Conference South.
The FA said yesterday it was still waiting on appeals from other clubs before it would confirm where Gloucester will be playing.
The delay was announced as the Citizen sent a petition containing more than 300 names to league bosses calling on them to place City in the south.
Click here to sign our keep Gloucester in the south petition
10 Comments
by John, Glos
Thursday, May 28 2009, 11:09AM
“To say the demands of the club and its fans have been a disgrace is utter rubbish. The management and fans have put in a great deal of time, effort and money to keep the club going over the last 2 years and are simply doing their best to get help from local politicians and the press.
Having a football club playing at a good level would be good for the city and so if some help and/or money can be made available then it would be spent wisely. As a tax payer I am happy to see effort being put into helping Gloucester City especially when you consider some of the other ways public money is spent.
I hope the council, local MPs and press continue their efforts to get the football team back playing in Gloucester as soon as possible !!”
by Bluebird, Chippenham
Thursday, May 28 2009, 10:39AM
“That playing surface looks ideal for a club like Gloucester.”
by Nick, Gloucester
Thursday, May 28 2009, 10:26AM
“5000 or 500 seats ?
My point, "Robinsman" ,is, if only 300 could be bothered to go and watch them when they were fairly successful and accessible, why do we constantly have to pick up the Citizen and read stories pushed by, an obviously sympathetic Editor/Reporter.
Like it or not the plight of Gloucester City FC is of interest to a small minority, and i am simply saying the coverage should be commensurate with this interest.”
by Rob, Abbeymead
Thursday, May 28 2009, 6:04AM
“So it's come to this?
2 years, 2 rejected proposals for 5000 capacity stadiums with all sorts of add-ons to benefit the Club, and they could be going back home?
The demands of the Club and fans have been nothing short of a disgrace, the City of Gloucester doesn't owe the Club anything, and I say this as a City follower.
Fairly humourous considering some fans were criticising those who wished to return to MP immediately could now be eating humble pie. Enjoy.”
by ROBINSMAN, Cheltenham
Wednesday, May 27 2009, 7:57PM
“Perhaps Nick they are trying to help the club. What are your comments doing.”
by ROBINSMAN, Cheltenham
Wednesday, May 27 2009, 7:56PM
“Very sad to see no matter the rivalry the clubs used to have. Perhaps Tigers fans should cut the over growth down as a gesture to show the council they need this ground. Good luck and keep grinding them down.Dont give up.”
by Nick, Gloucester
Wednesday, May 27 2009, 1:14PM
“A 300 name petition !!!!!
Really shows the strength of apath....., i mean feeling !!!
Citizen, please report the news agenda, don't drive it !!”
by Eddie Argos, The Docks
Wednesday, May 27 2009, 11:11AM
“Great to hear some comments from Eamon.
He does a lot for the club and we owe a lot of our success to him. There simply wouldn't be a club without his contributions.
He also has the manpower and machinery to make the renaissance of Meadow Park much cheaper and smoother. I just hope the Environment Agency and local politicians help thing move along at a good pace.”
by oppo, abbeymead
Wednesday, May 27 2009, 11:00AM
“This is the reality that City fans have had to live with but we are still fighting and will get their despite all the doubters and mickey-takers.
Excellent work by Parmjit to keep the profile high and to get a Minister involved is surely going to get things moving that much faster.”
by John, Cheltenham
Wednesday, May 27 2009, 7:51AM
“My word that is a truly sad sight especially considering it was once one of the best pitches in non league in the 1990s!.”