Oldham Athletic FC announces new £20m stadium proposal

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Council leader Howard Sykes

8:59 am, July 22, 2009
Oldham Athletic FC announces new £20m stadium proposal

By Michael Fahy

Oldham Athletic Football Club and Oldham Council have announced plans for a new £20 million football stadium development and community facilities at a 30-acre site in Failsworth, north Manchester.

The club, which had been forced to shelve earlier plans for a new stadium after previous developer and club sponsor Hillstone Developments went into administration, is close to completing a deal to buy the Lancaster Club at the junction between Broadway and Oldham Road from BAE Systems.

This would be combined with an adjoining Council-owned site to create a new 12,000 capacity stadium with associated community sports facilities and corporate/leisure developments.

The club will also sell its existing Boundary Park home for housing development, with key worker homes being created for employees of the nearby Royal Oldham Hospital.

The scheme is to be put before Oldham Council's cabinet tonight to gain outline planning consent.

Council leader Howard Sykes said that the scheme still had “a long way to go”, but added that it could provide regeneration for two areas that are in need of investment.

"Oldham Athletic in its present state is haemorrhaging money in a crumbling stadium and is not financially viable in the long-term,” he said. “The club's owners have long sought a solution and we were happy to work with them when they approached us with this innovative plan.

"The recent confirmation that Metrolink is coming to the borough also makes this proposition highly attractive. That would provide convenient, reliable and regular transport access to the area for those not travelling by car and I also understand club officials plan to talk with regional transport officials about a potential matchday tram stop.

"There will obviously be plenty of talking to be done with local residents and affected groups - some of which is already underway - and I am confident that their views will be reflected in any final proposal for the good of the whole community.”

Oldham Athletic's managing director and co-owner Simon Corney said that his consortium had been trying to sort out a new stadium deal since buying the club six years ago.

“"In its current state Oldham Athletic is dying. Our revenue fell 20 per cent again last year and we're now attracting attendances on a par with many League Two clubs. This new vision gives us an opportunity to provide a facility that will create new revenue streams to make the club financially viable and self-sustaining, whilst also giving supporters a superior matchday experience.

“We haven't taken the decision to leave Boundary Park lightly - it was our preferred option to redevelop it - but the credit crunch means the land value and market conditions have diminished to an extent which makes that scheme no longer economically viable.”

Subject to council approval, Oldham Athletic will next commission architects to work up more comprehensive plans. The club then expects to submit a detailed application to be considered by the borough's Planning Committee by the end of 2009. If successful, they would then sign a 24-month conditional development agreement to start work on the land owned by Oldham Council. Upon completion, the club would then sign a long-term lease with the local authority.

COMMENTS? mfahy@crain.com