Ground Development Fund.

[Grissles Oleary]

Now we have made the amazing step up to the National League I believe the Ground Development Fund is going to be much more important,as so much more will have to be done. In light of all the efforts Mr Cleeve has made to raise funds to run the club,it highlights the importance of the Ground Development Fund,the more that this fund can raise the more Mr Cleeve can have left to spend on the team etc?

It is to this end that as a Trust Member virtually since its inception and one time Director I now feel that it is time to put a proposal to Trust members, the proposal being that if the Ground Development Fund reaches £5000 the members agree that the trust can match that amount and donate to the club?

[TonyM]

Griss, not an unreasonable request and will be down to the membership if they want to agree.  I have a couple of things that I would add into your proposal - firstly do we have a clear list of what is required at the Walks to meet step 1 grading and secondly I would put a time limit (say 1st September) for the GDF fundraising for the Trust to then also use its own funds.

[Mallard]

There are a good few things to be done Tony.

I would think the Floodlights would need improvement to accommodate BT Sport Camera’s. 250 lux is the min.

A First aid room must be high priority.  A relation of mine worked the York game on First aid and with a crowd of over 4,000 there was nowhere to treat any supporters ( apart from the small physios room).

Turnstiles.  I think at step 1 there has to be a min of 8. Do we have 8 ?

Press box isn’t big enough, it must be a bit tight as it is, so that needs enlarging.

I’m sure we will need to improve disabled access etc as well.

The good thing is we have until March(?) to get a lot of these things in place

The National League Ground grading inspectors must have signed the Club off as ready to start the season.   So we have breathing space.  Though I’m not sure the floodlighting can wait. 

[gs50]

Thought we got grant start of last season.

[Loughborough Linnet]

Thought we got grant start of last season.

We did, but that was to meet step 2 requirements. We now need to meet the slightly more stringent step 1 requirements, and I don’t know if we’re eligible for grants in successive years.

The turnstile issue will probably be best solved by putting some in at the hospital end if the main stand, as was kind of brought in for the play off games a year ago.

[Lindsays Boot]

There were two turnstiles installed at the hospital end last season between the hotdog stand and the exit gates. They were fitted after the two in the corner designated for away supporters when segregation needed. Think that means we have six altogether

[Loughborough Linnet]

There were two turnstiles installed at the hospital end last season between the hotdog stand and the exit gates. They were fitted after the two in the corner designated for away supporters when segregation needed. Think that means we have six altogether

Shows how little I went past my seat.

So we need two more somewhere to meet the grade A requirements. I wonder if there’s scope to expand a current entrance (or two) , rather than a whole new one.

On I slightly different tact, I wonder if the March of first season deadline for ground grading improvements might be relaxed in light of the delay in confirming promotions.

http://www.thefa.com/-/media/thefacom-new/files/about-the-fa/2019/ground-grading/grade-a-july-2019.ashx?la=en