Gloucester City: Flood-hit club welcomes fans home after 13 years

The new Meadow Park stadium has two 350-seater stands and a new raised artificial pitch

Gloucester City AFC fans are able to support the team at home ground Meadow Park for the first time in 13 years.

The ground was submerged in the floods of 2007 which forced the club to enter into groundshare arrangements with other local sides.

Now following the completion of a new stadium, the National League North side can host fans at Meadow Park again.

About 1,000 fans purchased tickets for the team's FA Trophy tie against Needham Market on Tuesday evening.

The new stadium has two 350-seater stands, and the new artificial pitch has been raised several metres from the old level of Meadow Park.

Club co-chairman Alex Petheram told BBC Points West: "We had to bring the ground up around four metres across the whole site.

"Then we put protective bunds in around the River Severn and raised all the levels.

"If this floods now we'll need an ark as the whole of Gloucestershire will be under water."

Matt Phillips, of the club's Supporters Trust, said of the new stadium: "Credit to Alex and the people who made it happen, and the people who kept the club going."

This is the first time Gloucester City have played at Meadow Park since the floods of 2007

Last week the club received approval from the Gloucester Safety Advisory Group (SAG) to reopen the ground.

Supporters have to purchase tickets prior to entry and have been allocated specific times to arrive and areas of the ground in which to watch the match.

No away supporters are allowed to attend, and strict social distancing is being enforced.

Tuesday's fixture will also be the first home game for new Gloucester City manager Paul Groves.

The Tigers are currently top of the league after thirteen games.

Meadow Park has been Gloucester City's home stadium since 1986.

The ground lay derelict for years after the flooding