The Fishy - Grimsby Town FC

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Who will go down?







 

BP An Old Age Relic!

By: Mertle
Date: 27/02/2003

I have been doing some research on how bad Blundell Park is compared to other clubs below first division level and the state of BP.

I will not hide the fact that I think we should move and move soon. I wanted to find out if I was right in that we should move or is BP not as it first seems. I started by looking at clubs from the conference and below.

Why? Because we have often complained that BP is a conference standard stadium. I will admit to being one who has made this comment to justify why we should move. After looking at stadiums at this level I only found 4 grounds which were close. Of those grounds, 3 were to found to have standing areas. Only Runcorn had an all-seater due to them ground sharing with a rugby league side. So BP thankfully is no conference level stadium. But that is where the good news ends.

Investigation of Div 2/3 stadiums showed that at least half the league at this level have an equal or better stadiums than BP. Out of the others Bournemouth are building a new ground and Cambridge are in the process of building new stands at the abbey. Several more despite having standing areas have 3 other stands which put ours to shame. One of these clubs is Rochdale.

My conclusion is: Thank god football is not decided by stadium quality and is based on what is done with 11 men on a pitch. Simple truth is this. If Grimsby do not move soon we will be left in the football wilderness. In time every club who have equal or superior stadiums are going to be overtaking our club. Most of these grounds have been designed to generate much needed finances away from football. In time BP could be a major factor in our demise into the football wilderness.

".…BP has gone well past its usefulness!…."

With little hope in generating a new fanbase for the future, we ourselves have accepted our squalor. We were brought up by our parents with little income. Going to BP watching good football was a way of escaping. Today, times have changed. Most families have a better lifestyle and expect more comforts in there life.

A person brought up in this new environment is hardly going to want to go to a creaking old stadium sitting in a ground where many seats have obstructing views. The prospect of narrow escapes of diseases when they want to use the toilet and that's if they manage to hold their bladder while waiting. If they decide to want a bite to eat they face the prospect of queuing until they die of old age. The simple truth is BP has gone well past its usefulness.

On a final note to the board. If they want the club to survive and prosper, sign the 106 agreement. Apply for planning permission and get Fenty, Elsom, Chapman and even Ramsden to help fund the GTFC side of the development until Grimsby can refund their kindness. You may go and watch games in relative comfort from boxes and directors seats but spare a thought to the conditions your paying customers have to endure.

Note: Anyone wishing to research stadiums should look at the following website

Football Grounds


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