Note that this page is from our Gresley Rovers archive. It may not be related to the new Gresley Rovers (formerly Gresley FC until 2020).
On the move?
Story courtesy of
Gresley Rovers chairman Peter Hall has admitted: “We may have to quit the Moat Ground.”
Hall fears Rovers’ historic home falls short of the requirements for the ambitious South Derbyshire club, which this week failed a Beazer Homes League election bid.And he revealed: “We’ve been looking for a new ground for two or three years.”
Rovers officials are still waiting to find out why their bid for promotion failed, but Hall fears inspectors from the Beazer Homes League may feel that terracing – particularly behind the goals – is just not big enough.
And with gardens abutting the stadium on three sides the club cannot expand anymore.
“It would mean having to put a yard or a yard-and-a-half off each property owner around the ground – and that’s just not on,” said Hall.
Rovers’ quest had taken them to a site in Albert Village and to Gresley Old Hall – to no avail, he said. Then came the Beazer Homes bombshell.
“Obviously, I’m sick about the decision – and so is everyone else connected with the club. With clubs like Derby County and Nottingham Forest attracting crowds of 1,700 0r 2,000 to Bass Vase games at the ground, we felt it was good enough.
“We certainly feel we’ve good enough facilities and playing surface after all the work we’ve done. But I suspect the Beazer Homes League is looking for clubs with the potential to go all the way into the GM Vauxhall Conference.”
Hall now waits with the rest of the club for a ground report from the Beazer Homes League.
He pledged: “The committee will do whatever it can to help the club move forward. We’ll carry on looking for a new ground – we don’t want to stay where we are.”
