I have been asked by Chris Hill, Chairman of Gloucester City AFC, to post the following:

David Miller
Assistant Football Secretary
Youth Development Co-ordinator


Gloucester City Football Club

Current Situation:

The supporters have been magnificent during the summer readying the stadium for the new season. The stands looked excellent in black and yellow, the flood lights have been patched up and the pitch was looking better than ever. Everyone who contributed so willingly over the summer achieved an outstanding result.

The home of Gloucester City Football Club, Meadow Park, has now been flooded for the 3rd time in the past 10 years and following a detailed inspection, now that the water has retreated from the buildings and the pitch, it is possible to see the extent of the damage from this flood that came up to the goal post crossbars. The ground and stadium cost in excess of £70,000 to make it usable after the last flood. This time the damage is far greater. There was absolutely no chance of playing any early season fixtures at Meadow Park. We have therefore, as a mater of priority, been making arrangements for a ground share, and trying to get that set up with a local club, and approved by the FA, before the start of the New Season, as fulfilling our fixture list is our first priority. We hope to be able to announce our plans next week.

The current devastation of the stadium, and the pitch, question of the wisdom of investing the £70,000 last time a flood occurred, and the subsequent work on the pitch, drainage etc just to see it all written off a couple of years later. The situation is worse this time as ceilings have come down and the flood waters contained so much sewerage that if we were to contemplate recovering the stadium it would cost in the order of £100,000 plus and we would be irresponsible to attempt to raise that kind of money without seeking planning permission to at least raise the stadium and pitch above the flood level, though where might the flood level reach next time! A better option may be to create a new Gloucester City stadium somewhere other than Meadow Park.

The ground is currently a health and safety hazard and it is the Boards intention, from their meeting last night, to, in the short term, secure a ground share for a least a full season.
Once this is in place we shall, in the interim period, intensify our fund raising activities so that we can look at the long term options.

The Executive Board believes that Gloucester City Football Club should be playing within the City and we will be looking at those options once we have established a ground share. Now is the time Gloucester City needs your support. We are confident with the squad of players we have assembled during the close season we are in with more than a good chance of a having a successful season We hope that all our supporters will support The Tigers wherever we play, as they have traditionally done. All season tickets will be valid for league games wherever we play our home league games.


Gloucester City Executive Board
3rd August 2007