Lib Dems looking to make Tigers roar
TWENTY thousand pounds a year could be ploughed into Gloucester City Football Club by taxpayers.
The Liberal Democrat group on Gloucester City Council is proposing to help the Tigers through difficult times with a yearly cash grant of £20,000.
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Gloucester City
Following an appeal from the football club's Supporters Trust councillor Jeremy Hilton (Lib, Kingsholm and Wotton) is to propose a motion for debate at a council meeting on March 25.
The motion agrees to give the club £20,000 per year for the next two years if the Tigers decide to play at Cheltenham Town FC home ground.
Gloucester City's ground at Meadow Park was destroyed during the 2007 floods and currently the Tigers play at Cirencester, but this ground no longer meets the minimum standards for the Football Conference.
Cheltenham Town's Waddon Road stadium is the most suitable place for the Tigers to play, but their annual rent would rocket to £45,000 per year.
Agreement
Jeremy Hilton said: "We have to support the club through hard times.
"Playing at Cheltenham will help the club survive until they can return home to Gloucester.
"The ground meets the standards of the Football Conference and it will be much easier to get to for Tigers' fans.
"On the playing field the Tigers did brilliantly to get promotion to the Football Conference.
"We must now support them until they can return home to Gloucester."
Councillor Declan Wilson (Lib Dem, Hucclecote), who will second the motion, said: "The cost of playing at Cheltenham will be much more than Cirencester and Gloucester City FC need to sign an agreement very soon.
"Our offer of council financial help will cushion the blow of the added expense and help the club survive challenging times."
Gloucester MP Parmjit Dhanda said: "I would be delighted to see some local support for the football club via the local authority."
Mr Dhanda has long been campaigning to provide a secure future for the Tigers following the 2007 floods which destroyed the playing area.
Mike Dunstan, press officer for the Tigers, said: "The funding would be a huge help for the club.
"Times are hard at the moment being away from our own ground, so if it was possible to get extra funding, that would be great."
25 Comments
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by city supporter, cheltenham
Wednesday, March 17 2010, 1:38PM
“In reponse to Roxy ...have to say that the Directors of the Day SOLD the ground for housing development.. Meadow Park was forced upon them as the only ground available to develope a new home for the football club. It was known the area was on a flood plain - sadly it was that or nothing. Blame the Council/Directors of the Day. Not the fans who have loyally stood by the club through the years.”
by Fat Sam¿, Abbeymead, Gloucestershire
Wednesday, March 17 2010, 9:28AM
“I absolutely disagree with the view that only '300 or so' follow the club.
You can guarantee that if the club achieved any kind of success, witness past events, then several thousand would come out of the woodwork.
The club represents this city more than the plastic pride of likes of Man U, Chelski, Arsenal et al ever will.
Gloucester City AFC is a well managed club, on and off the pitch. The club doesn't spend beyond its means, it recruits locally-based players, and achieved promotion through sheer grit, talent and determination and against all odds.
It absolutely deserves help and assistance as much as other business victims of the floods did.”
by Nick, Gloucester
Wednesday, March 17 2010, 9:07AM
“A grant for a club watched by on average 300 people per game. We have a myriad of clubs County wide who attract more support every week, yet struggle on with even more meagre resources.
A disgrace, I shall be witholding my Liberal vote and my Council Tax.”
by Roxy, Stroud
Tuesday, March 16 2010, 4:31PM
“Again posts deleted that contain any points of view that don't support Glos City taking taxpayers money. Any money should be a loan with interest applicable and not used as an electioneering tool. As for local players playing for no money ... again yeah right!”
by roxy, stroud
Tuesday, March 16 2010, 3:58PM
“fair play to glos city, they have been hit hard by the flooding and the FA firstly putting them in conf north then imposing ridiculous ground regulations. Let's hope this situation resolves itself and more people from all round the county come to watch gloucester”