Bristol Rovers Could Share Ground With Swindon Town

[whole diary]

[Lee]

Bristol Rovers have made a fresh approach to Swindon Town over the possibility of sharing the County Ground (link below.)
http://thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144913&command=displayContent&sourceNode=231190&home=yes&more_nodeId1=144922&contentPK=20175981

Work is due to begin in the summer on a ^36 million redevelopment of the Memorial Stadium to turn it into an 18,000 all-seater venue.

The project is set to take at least 18 months to complete and Rovers were thought to have verbally agreed a deal with Cheltenham Town to share Whaddon Road from the start of next season.

Rovers' fresh approach is understood to have come about because their directors are concerned about the financial implications of a move to Whaddon Road, which can only hold just over 7,000 spectators.

One of the other reasons given for the possible switch is that rail and road links to the County Ground are better than those to Whaddon Road.

[Lee]

Bristol Rovers have been holding talks with Yeovil Town as they examine ground share options for next season with road and rail links again a matter for debate (link below.)
http://thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145365&command=displayContent&sourceNode=145191&contentPK=20185583&folderPk=83726&pNodeId=144922

Swindon seems to be emerging as the favourite, but I notice that Twerton Park in Bath, where Rovers played between 1986 and 1996, was also mentioned, although it is thought to be too small (link below.)
http://thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145365&command=displayContent&sourceNode=145191&contentPK=20185588&folderPk=83726&pNodeId=144922

[John R]

So would that mean extra trains from Lawrence Hill and Stapleton Rd to Yeovil on match days?

[Lee]

City planners last night approved changes to Bristol Rovers' plans for a ^35 million stadium in spite of objections by local residents (link below.)
http://thisissomerset.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=147472&command=displayContent&sourceNode=242195&contentPK=20305578&folderPk=113662&pNodeId=251478

[Lee]

There is no builder in place to construct Bristol Rovers' new ^35 million stadium as the club has yet to choose who will carry out the work (link below.)
http://thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144913&command=displayContent&sourceNode=231190&home=yes&more_nodeId1=144922&contentPK=20465861

And fans will have to spend two full seasons watching their team in a borrowed stadium before the replacement Memorial Stadium is finished.

Club officials said a preferred builder would be selected from a shortlist of three but confirmed the final choice has yet to be made.

It was thought Balfour Beatty - the building firm to which Rovers director Nick Higgs sold club sponsor Cowlin for ^52m last year - would build the new stadium.

But yesterday Balfour Beatty told the Evening Post it was not interested in developing the site "for purely commercial reasons".

The club will close the stadium for redevelopment in August after its two pre-season friendlies - and will open the new stadium in time for the 2010-11 season.

At its AGM^▸ (Annual General Meeting) on Monday the club is expected to reveal where it will play its home games for the next two seasons.

It is understood Cheltenham Town's Whaddon Road ground is the front-runner, although Swindon and Yeovil have also been linked with a deal to host the club's home fixtures.

The club is also expected to announce the builder of the stadium on Monday.

[Sion Bretton]

I understand Bath Rugby will be looking for a home for next two seasons.

[Lee]

Bristol Rovers will play their home games in Cheltenham for the next two seasons, the club has confirmed (link below.)
http://thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145365&command=displayContent&sourceNode=145191&contentPK=20498752&folderPk=83726&pNodeId=144922

At the annual general meeting, shareholders were told that Rovers will use Cheltenham Town's Whaddon Road ground from August, when developers move in to rebuild the Memorial Stadium.

Directors also revealed that the estimated cost of the redevelopment had now reached ^40 million and that the project would take up to two years to complete.

That would see Rovers back at their Horfield home for the first match of the 2010-11 season.