Fans back call for Grays Athletic move to old Thurrock FC home

The Ship Lane ground in Aveley, near Thurrock, could be the new home for Grays Athletic FC

A petition for a football club to turn an abandoned ground into its new home has reached 3,200 signatures.

Essex team Grays Athletic has been without a permanent home since it was sold off in 2010 and wants to relocate to the old Ship Lane stadium in Aveley.

Thurrock Council could make a decision on plans next month.

Club spokesman Stewart Goshawk said: "It's been hugely frustrating... we're a club without a ground and there's a ground without a club."

The side has applied to take over the former Thurrock FC stadium as part of a partnership with Group 1 Automotive.

The firm wants to build a vehicle inspection centre with parking for 1,207 vehicles on a neighbouring site.

However, objectors say the development would destroy a greenbelt buffer zone and increase pollution.

Grays Athletic, which plays in the Isthmian League North Division, had its original New Recreational Ground site in Grays sold off for housing by the council.

Since then the 133-year-old club has rented various local facilities.

It said it hoped to be "gifted" the dilapidated Ship Lane stadium, which has laid empty since Thurrock FC disbanded in 2018, by the developers.

Mr Goshawk said the petition would show councillors the strength of support for the new site, which has a land value of about £3m.

"Grays Athletic as a club is supporter owned - we have no sugar daddy paying the bills," he said.

"We have about 25 teams playing in Grays Athletic colours. We have to hire pitches for every one of those teams to play on... but it's increasingly difficult and expensive.

"We have health initiatives and want to expand our offer for disabled young people.

"What we're trying to do is show Thurrock Council the enormous community benefit that would accrue if Ship Lane was brought into use as an entire community asset."

Opponents are concerned about the development eroding part of the area's greenbelt

In April, the planning committee voted to defer a decision until a site visit was carried out later this month.

The council had 220 representations in support of the plan, but 56 objections and a 618-signature petition against it.

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"The football club will be the sole beneficiary of this application and it will not be for the benefit of the general community of Purfleet or Aveley who are both against this plan," said John Rowles, chairman of the Purfleet-on-Thames Community Forum.

"The application will destroy one of the last green buffers between the M25, A13, Purfleet-on-Thames and Aveley.

"We suffer from some of the worst air quality in the area, which will be made worse by the increase in vehicle movements."

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