City pushing to guarantee ground-share (From Worcester News)

City pushing to guarantee ground-share

6:30am Friday 19th March 2010

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By Steve Carley »

Worcester City could replace Evesham United with Gloucester City as they look to secure a ground-share deal for next season.

The struggling Blue Square South club need to generate as much money as possible from the 100-year-old St George’s Lane stadium with both potential tenants in need of temporary homes.

City remain hopeful of selling their ground to Careys New Homes and staying at the Lane on a lease until June 2012 as part of the deal.

While Evesham have been tenants for the last two seasons, they would not need the Lane for the entire 2010/11 campaign as they prepare to move to a new stadium.

Blue Square North outfit Gloucester’s move would be for longer, though, and they would bring a higher grade of football and bigger crowds.

But both clubs have other options with Gloucester talking to Cheltenham Town and Forest Green Rovers, while the Robins are now in discussions with Redditch United.

“We have been in talks with Gloucester and Evesham,” Worcester director Andrew Watson said.

“We want to maximise the potential money out of the ground. It’s just working out which is best for us.

“We are mindful of the fact Evesham have used our ground for two seasons and we don’t want to leave them in the lurch but we want the best for Worcester City.

“The last thing we want is for neither ground-share to happen.”

Evesham’s deal is understood to be worth around £15,000 a season to City but agreeing a third campaign depends on the progress of their new £1.8million stadium in Cheltenham Road.

It is scheduled to be completed by August but their move could be delayed as the Highways Agency need to make adjustments to a roundabout.

The Zamaretto League Premier Division club are therefore seeking a ground-share deal for the start of the 2010/11 season.

But, with City also talking to Gloucester, Evesham have enquired about moving to Redditch’s Valley Stadium.

Gloucester, whose Meadow Park home was devastated by the floods of 2007, have contacted Worcester because they cannot continue their agreement with present landlords Cirencester Town.

The Tigers need to comply with Blue Square North ground criteria by March 31 and Cirencester’s Corinium Stadium does not have the required ‘B’ grading.

Gloucester are also in negotiations with Blue Square Premier outfit Forest Green and League Two strugglers Cheltenham but the latter are believed to want £45,000 per season for two years.

Evesham’s chairman Jim Cockerton said: “We will have to start the season in another ground.

“We are looking to share with Worcester or Redditch and it seems Redditch is the favourite.

“There’s a question mark about Gloucester going to Worcester so we have had to take the bull by the horns and look for an alternative.”

On a possible delay at Cheltenham Road, he added: “A few months isn’t going to make much difference when we have waited for all these years.”