Judgement reserved in Bristol Rovers stadium High Court case

The club is relying on the sale to go through to generate funds for a new stadium

Judgement has been reserved in the High Court case between Bristol Rovers and supermarket giant Sainsbury's over the sale of the club's ground.

The club wants to move from the Memorial Stadium to a new purpose-built arena and had agreed to sell the ground to the supermarket.

But Sainsbury's has threatened to pull out of the deal citing planning issues.

At the end of the six-day hearing, the judge Mrs Justice Proudman reserved her judgement until a later date.

Bristol Rovers' new stadium would be located alongside the University of the West of England (UWE) in Stoke Gifford, and be financed partly by the sale of the Memorial Stadium.

But the supermarket has said the sale is "no longer commercially viable" and wants to be released from its contract.

In a statement the club described the supermarket's action as a "continuing and flagrant breach of its obligations".

It added that it was "hopeful that judgment in (the club's) favour will be made soon, allowing it to draw a line under this dispute and move forward with the construction of the new UWE Stadium."

Sainsbury's declined to comment.