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Mayor of Bristol George Ferguson has told newly-relegated Bristol City to ditch plans to build a new stadium and redevelop their Ashton Gate ground instead.
Mr Ferguson’s comments follow the club’s demotion to the third tier of English football from the Championship with three games rema
ining. Having spent a reported £41m in a failed bid to reach the Premier League, Mr Ferguson has said the club needs to take stock and build a “solid base and home to be proud of”.
The club has a long-standing ambition to develop a 30,000-seater stadium, pictured, on a greenfield site at Ashton Vale, around half a mile from the 21,500 capacity Ashton Gate, its home since 1900. However, there has been a strong campaign to oppose the new stadium, with protestors urging the club to stay at a redeveloped Ashton Gate.
The club has confirmed they were still looking to either move to a new stadium at Ashton Vale or redevelop their home at Ashton Gate.
A consultation exercise has been launched with a formal planning application due to be submitted in June or July. Meanwhile, a new public inquiry into the controversial town green application on the site of the proposed new stadium has been set for October.
However, Mr Ferguson once again made it clear he would back the Ashton Gate redevelopment.
“It is of course deeply disappointing that City should be relegated, but it makes a revival plan all the more vital,” he said.
“I am sure that the club, players and fans will pick themselves up and fight their way back into the Championship and eventually into the Premiership.
“They have my strong backing to see through the ambitious plan for the rejuvenation of Ashton Gate which should give them a solid base and a home to be proud of. The club remains as important as ever to Bristol and it will continue to have my enthusiastic support.”
City managing director Jon Lansdown said the club are ready to sell players, as they prepare for life in League One.
He insisted they will remain competitive in the third tier, even with budget cuts: “We’ll be one of the bigger clubs in League One, with one of the bigger budgets, and we’ll be set up to perform as best we can,” he said.
