FOOTBALL fans in York could still enjoy a pre-match pint in their favourite pubs if their club moves to a new home on the edge of the city.
Developers behind proposals for a 6,000-seater stadium to house York City FC and York City Knights at Monks Cross plan to introduce shuttle buses to ferry supporters from the city centre to matches.
Oakgate (Monks Cross) Ltd has suggested the shuttles could travel along routes near traditional watering holes for the Minstermen’s followers, having studied similar public transport schemes at new stadia in Walsall, Chesterfield and Colchester.
The idea has been incorporated within a transport assessment submitted to City of York Council as part of the company’s planning application for the project, which would see the new ground built on the current Huntington Stadium site alongside a retail development including John Lewis and Marks & Spencer stores.
The council’s planning committee was expected to debate Oakgate’s plans – which the firm say would create 1,000 new jobs and boost the local economy, but which have been criticised by city-centre businesses – this week, but this has been delayed after the authority asked for more information on issues such as the scheme’s impact on other retailers.
“It is proposed that dedicated shuttle buses are provided between the city centre and the stadium to accommodate matchday travel,” said Oakgate’s report.
“Pick-up points in the city centre can be adjusted to suit demand, but shuttle services should serve the railway station.
“It is likely football supporters would need to be segregated at the station, given the potential conflicts with other users.
“Travel on the shuttle bus could be provided as part of pre-purchased match tickets or season tickets.
“In addition, services could be provided to serve locations accessible to traditional supporters’ pubs.”
The report said using Leeman Road’s bus stops for shuttle services would be “an appropriate option” for managing crowds.
It also suggested forming a group to deal with travel issues surrounding stadium events, including representatives from City and the Knights, the council, North Yorkshire Police and local bus firms.
Courtesy of The Press article written by Mark Stead
November 28th, 2011 / No Comments » / by James Waterson
Detailed plans for the stadium developments have now been submitted to the council and now there’s only one thing left to do: ensure the future of sport in York by sending a letter of support to the council.
Pledge your support and fill in this form immediately! >>>>
We’ve made the process a lot easier by providing a simple form on the right-hand side of this page.
Fill in your details, explain why you believe the stadium should be built and send it to all your friends. This will make a real difference.
September 26th, 2011 / No Comments » / by James Waterson
A planning application has been submitted to York Council that can deliver a community stadium as a new home for York City and York Knights. Full details can be found here: http://www.yorkcommunitystadium.com
The stadium will be part funded through a retail development including a new Marks and Spencer near by. Without the retail development going ahead the stadium will not be delivered and York City will struggle to survive.
Some do not want to see this retail development to go ahead and this jeopardises the future of sport in the city of York. It is important that councillors, MPs and MEPs realise how crucial this development is.
Please help save York City FC and let your representatives know how important this stadium is by e-mailing them using the addresses below.
Want to help secure a community stadium for York? Then we’d really appreciate it if you could spare five minutes of your time.
We all know that there is an overwhelming case for a new community stadium in York. But we need to ensure that our elected representatives agree.
Council officials have just set out their favoured sites and business plans for the new stadium. You can read a short summary of their proposals here: http://bit.ly/stadiumlocations.
The plans have to be passed at crucial council meetings on the 6th and 15th July and we need to ensure as many councillors as possible back the project.
To help secure the future of professional sport in York, please help us out by doing three quick tasks:
Send an email to community.stadium@york.gov.uk by tomorrow evening (Friday 2nd) encouraging councillors to back the plans. It can be as short as one sentence – but every message counts.
If you live within the City of York please contact your local councillor directly and ask them to confirm that they are backing the project. Find out who your councillor is here - http://bit.ly/yorkcouncillors – and click on their name to access contact details.
Continue to encourage as many people to sign the petition athttp://bit.ly/stadiumyork – or alternatively, join the thousands who have signed a paper copy by printing one off on this website.
Our combined efforts so far have made a real difference. But decisions taken in the next fortnight will decide the future of sport in York. Don’t miss your chance to influence the debate and make a difference
June 25th, 2010 / 3 Comments » / by James Waterson
City of York council today released the proposed sites and possible financial models for the community stadium. We welcome this move.
A summary has been issued that outlines the main conclusions. A full 100 page document has been promised. It will appear here – along with our analysis – as soon as it is available.
The four proposed locations for the community stadium
The report offers four options: redevelopment of Bootham Crescent, a new stadium on the current Huntington site or fresh projects on either Hull Road or the former Nestle site. Locations of these sites can be seen below. Jason McGill, chairman of York City FC, has come out of heavily in support of building a new stadium on the existing Monks Cross site. All the sites have their strengths and weaknesses – but the focus must be on building a new ground as soon as possible, wherever it may be.
The report will be put to a vote of the Council Executive on Tuesday 6 July. This makes the next ten days some of most important in the city’s sporting history. We will be posting details of how you can help the campaign as it enters a crucial phase. We need as many people as possible to analyse the council’s report – if you spot any glaring issues then please post them in the comments.
A man who will broadcast into millions of homes over the next month has backed the campaign to have a Community Stadium built in York.
Guy Mowbray, a staunch York City supporter, and the man who the BBC have chosen to commentate on the World Cup final on July 11, has publicly lent his support to the idea of a new ground.
“I fully support the campaign to get a Community Stadium for York built as soon as possible”, he said.
Mowbray, who still lives in the city, has a vast experience of visiting sports stadia, so is well placed to extol the virtues of such a project.
“All over the UK and Europe I have seen at first hand the beneficial effect a new stadium brings to a place – not just in a sporting sense but in terms of facilities that the whole community can use and find a strong sense of local pride in.
“Better for business, better for sport, better for concerts, better for tourism – better for every York citizen. York needs a stadium.”
The 38 year-old says he has the second best job in the world, as the best would have been wearing the No 9 shirt, in the red and blue of York City.
Former Minstermen striker Jimmy Seal has joined thousands of other citizens of York, by calling for the council to do all they can to allow a community stadium to be built in the city.
Seal, played led the line alongside fellow striker Chris Jones in what was arguably City’s greatest ever side, and scored York’s only ever league goal against Manchester United in 1975.
Prior to the play-off semi-final home leg against Luton Town, Seal, who still lives locally, signed the petition calling for the City of York Council to do everything in their power, to ensure a community stadium is provided by 2015.
Bill Beaumont CBE (left), former Captain of the England Rugby Union team, the British Lions and the BBC programme ‘A Question of Sport’ has backed the campaign for a community stadium in York.
On a recent visit to York to speak at a dinner for the Wooden Spoon, the children’s charity of rugby, Bill Beaumont discussed the stadium campaign with Simon Mallett, a member of the steering committee of the Campaign for a Community Stadium.
Simon Mallett said: “Bill Beaumont knew about the current set-up at Bootham Crescent and the Huntington Stadium and thought a combined stadium with community facilities was the way forward for the clubs and the city. He wholeheartedly backed the campaign.”
The shadow minister for Culture has backed the new community stadium for York – and called on City of York council to do the same.
Ed Vaizey, a member of the Conservative shadow cabinet, also explained why it was so important that local government did the same, adding that council leadership would make the job “ten times easier”.
When questioned about using central government funding on the project, Mr Vaizey, as Minister for Culture, Media and Sport said that should the Conservatives get into power the government would “be delighted to work with City of York Council to make this project happen.”
This follows pledges of support made by the all of the major party candidates in both the York Central and York Outer constituencies.
We call upon local politicans to heed his advise and back a new stadium for the city. Members of the shadow cabinet can see the worth of this project – but it can feel that some members of our own council are not as enthusiastic.
Mr Vaizey is president of a football club in his own community, Didcot Town who with the support of their council recently built a new ground. Mr Vaizey recognises the need to view sports clubs as an asset to the community and how important it is for local government to be involved with sport.
The shadow minister insisted that the new community stadium “should be seen as one of the pillars that maintain that prosperity” and would attract people to the city.
Mr Vaizey has briefed shadow Sports spokesman Hugh Robertson on the project and would be willing to help if City of York Council wants to go ahead. The involvement of Mr Robertson depends on the council giving the project its full backing.
In response to this Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport, Ben Bradshaw also sent the following message of support.
“York City has had it’s fair share of issues over the years and it is great to see the club have lost none of their drive and ambition. We completely support the plans for the new stadium to become a community asset. We wish the club every success with a new development and are pleased with the plans to continue to represent the views of their supporters on the main board and to have a community stadium of which the people of York can be rightly proud.”
York is a great city but our sport and leisure facilities are nowhere near adequate and the future of the professional teams is under threat. We know that there is plenty of support in York for a new community stadium – but that nothing can happen without all of the city’s councillors backing the project. Of course in addition to that we need your support.
So if you haven’t already done so, sign the petition now.
A petition on Thursday night kicked off with the signatures of several hundred fans, including that of Archbishop of York, John Sentamu. Thank you to all those who braved the soggy paper in order to etch their name and seal their support.
You can now join the Archbishop and sign the petition online. If your friends, family and co-workers prefer the paper variety of petition then you can also download and print a pdf copy. However you choose to sign, please get as many other people to do so as possible.
It cannot be emphasised enough how important the petition is. There is much support for this cause and now the citizens must let City of York Council hear their voices. This is not just about football and rugby pitches, this about creating a focal point for sport and entertainment in York. A source of civic pride for all citizens. Archbishop John Sentamu gave a rousing speech on the Bootham Crescent pitch on Thursday emphasising this point.
“If they are really interested in this great city then give it a community stadium. If the council says yes, this is the plot of land, this is what we want to do, these are the plans then we can galvanise the businesses in the city to come behind it…to any councillor: I am coming and I want it delivered.”
And don’t forget to invite as many people to join the Facebook Group as possible – we’re heading towards 2,000 people who want to see A Stadium For York.
Let City of York Council know your support for the Community Stadium proposals by sending your comments to the Planning Officer using the form below. The more supportive comments the application receives, the better chance the new Stadium has of becoming a reality.
Alternatively, send your own comments to Michael Jones, planning officer at City of York Council, by emailing planning.enquiries@york.gov.uk , with the subject header “York Community Stadium – 11/02581/OUTM”. Please remember to include your full name, address and postcode.
