How much would a new ground cost?

[Ted]

Leaving aside the cost of land, I've often wondered how much it would cost to build the basic infrastructure for a ground.

 

This info from the Maidenhead forum (about Beaconsfield) gives an idea.

 

"What a condescending [****!!****]! If only you knew how much time, effort and money (£300k+) went in to developing Holloways Park from what it was in the Minerva South Midland days. Brand new clubhouse, brand new dresssing room complex with treatment room and a new covered stand. Feck me, the compulsory concreting for the standing areas all around the ground and the fencing around the ground came to nearly £50k. I cant believe your opinion, we have newer facilities than you, better parking and our own full size training pitch on site. We aint got no money but decent facilties we do! Look at your last opponents if you really want to pick out **** grounds."

 

Richard Stokes reckons £20 million----no wonder the council is in financial trouble.

[BFR]

The figures Stokes normally gives relates to the potential money lost to the Council if green belt land were provided for a football stadium, as opposed to housing when Central Government relaxes the rules of protecting it so that the South East housing shortage can be (partly) resolved.

 

That and he is showing his age and can't use his abacus anymore

[Barry Scott]

I know that Burscough's ground (3,000 capacity, 500 seats, covering all round) cost about £4million but I think we should be aiming for what Dartford got so I'd ask them

[HorshamRebel]

Horsham FC will also soon be looking at building a new ground at Conference South grading.

 

I could chase that up, to see what ball park figure they have come up with.

 

If the purchase of the available ground area goes ahead, they will own club buildings, but no stadium.

[Staines-upon-Thames Rebel]

Dartford was quoted at costing £6million.

 

There are two issues:

 

1. What the overall cost is and

2. How much funding (Lotto, sports council etc) is available and then how mutch the "club" needs to find to "match fund" to achieve the overall cost.

[Tom]

I was under the impression that the cost of Slough's ground (if we ever get one) would be covered by grants up to 70% of the cost.

 

http://www.footballfoundation.org.uk/welcome

 

 

[Barry Scott]

well if we say the cost of the ground is £5million at a conservative estimate, that would still leave someone to stump up the £1.5million needed after grants if we get maximum funding

[Ted]

It is a rather complicated area. I wrote to the Football Foundation to seek clarification, and here is part of the reply I got.

 

" Any application to develop a ground for a team playing in the National League System would be made to the Football Stadia Improvement Fund (FSIF) and not the Football Foundation (FF).

 

The FSIF is unlikely in any circumstance to go above the ceiling level for a Club. The FSIF will not assist with land purchase costs and a Club has to have security of tenure (by either leasehold or freehold) to be able to apply.

 

As for % level of funding the FSIF is decided on the merits of each project. The maximum that would be awarded is 90% and the overall target level is 50%. If looking at a project such as covering one side of a ground the FSIF would only consider this if it were required i.e. to meet grading criteria and/or attendances justified the need to do it. A typical % is difficult to answer but the above principle i.e. each case on its merits should be applied."

 

There are other discretionary sources of funding available. An example of a discretionary source is http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/registeredcharities/showcharity.asp?remchar=&chyno=300327. Naturally with such sources you deon't know if you'll get help until you approach them with a firm proposal---there are quite a few foundations that could help.

 

FSIF won't help with certain things---a clubhouse for example. Once built, the Footrball Foundation may well help with ground improvements.

 

So overall, its still not very clear, but there is certainly scope for getting grants of 50%+ from one source alone.

[Tom]

Also looking a bit more into it, if we were to move back to Wexham Park, we could apply for a grant to improve the facilities there and get it back up to a decent standard.

[Ted]

Originally Posted By: Barry_Scott

well if we say the cost of the ground is £5million at a conservative estimate, that would still leave someone to stump up the £1.5million needed after grants if we get maximum funding

No way would grants of that size be available. Reading the interminable and frequently conflicting FF documents seems to indicate a maximum grant of £1 million for football (and we would not qualify), though higher grants can be available for multi use sports facilities in deprived areas where specific measures are in place to include underrepresented groups.

Realistically a SYCOB type ground would be at the upper end of our aspirations unless thyere was an outside backer.

[Ted]

Originally Posted By: Tom

Also looking a bit more into it, if we were to move back to Wexham Park, we could apply for a grant to improve the facilities there and get it back up to a decent standard.

Certainly, but we would need a minimum 10 year lease.