Cheers and jeers over club's £4m homecoming plans
Cheers and jeers over club's £4m homecoming plans
Owen Sennitt - in GorlestonSun, May 24, 2026 at 5:51 AM UTC
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Chrissie Harris and Helen Pointer were concerned about Gorleston Football Club's plans
Plans for a town's football club to return to its traditional home have been hailed as a big score for the local community, but not everyone is impressed.
A group of neighbours living next to the Gorleston Recreation Ground in Norfolk want the project booted out, fearing it will push other park users to the sidelines.
They have set up a campaign to oppose the creation of an artificial 3G pitch, spectator stand, clubhouse and grass pitches, but there is also significant support.
Gorleston Football Club insists the £4m project will bring benefits to the town, providing new facilities for the community while boosting youth engagement.
What the new grounds could look like
The Greens have effectively been homeless for the past four years after they were forced to leave nearby Emerald Park when the site's owners decided to turn it into housing.
During that time, the men's first team played home games at Lowestoft Town FC in the 2022–23 season and later at The Wellesley in Great Yarmouth.
The club is now working with Great Yarmouth Borough Council to return to the recreation ground, where its teams played for nearly a century between 1889 and 1982.
Youth teams returned in September last year and currently use one grass pitch.
Despite the challenges, the club remains one of the top teams in the county, with its men's side playing in the eighth tier of English football.
The move back to the recreation ground is subject to planning approval by the borough council, which owns the site.
So far, dozens of people have written in support of the scheme.
However, there are also a number of objections from some who see the proposals as the club "monopolising" the green space.
Chrissie Harris is part of a group that wants to show the "red card" to what they describe as a recreation ground takeover.
She said: "This is our community park, our town park, and it's important to us. We feel, as a community, we haven't really been involved in what is happening here.
"As a group, we are not against people playing football, but there are two sides to every story."
Key concerns include fears there will be less space for other park users, parking pressures in the area, noise for nearby homes, and the possibility that the club could expand further on the site.
"There is a bit of momentum going on here. We fear it is a bit of a slippery slope," she added.
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Barry Gravenell, a newly elected Great Yarmouth First county councillor for Gorleston, said he wanted to see the club return to the town but acknowledged there were valid concerns against it.
He said: "I'm fully supportive of building the stadium here, but taking over too much of the recreation ground is not good, in my opinion.
"We have people playing cricket here; it is regularly used by dog walkers.
"I see it from both sides. We obviously have the football community and cannot have dog mess on the pitches, but, on the flip side, we need open spaces retained."
He added that parking in the area was already a "nightmare".
Barry Gravenell, Great Yarmouth First county councillor for Gorleston
Graham Hacon, vice-chairman of the club, said the space would be for everyone, not just football.
He said the plans also include a community centre and café, as well as the football grounds, and that a new car park would provide space for 162 vehicles and coaches.
Mr Hacon added: "The misconception is this is all about football. It's not — it's about putting a community hub at the centre of one of the most deprived areas of Gorleston.
"Moving there is about putting something back into the community that we've served for over 100 years."
Mr Hacon said the past few years without a stadium in the town had been tough.
"People don't necessarily want to go and see you play at the grounds of their arch rivals," he said.
The borough council threw its support behind the project when it was announced in November last year, and it has agreed to lease the site to the club for 75 years.
Daniel Candon, Conservative cabinet member for growth, said: "Gorleston FC should have their home ground in Gorleston. They have a deep connection with the town, so it's right that they should feel at home when they play.
"There is also a great community aspect to have such a facility there for the local and wider community to use."
The planning application is expected to go before councillors in the coming months.
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Great Yarmouth Borough Council
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