King On Board

By: Rob Sedgwick
Date: 16/08/2000

Former Newcastle United commercial director Alex King has taken up his seat in the Town boardroom, with a special responsibility to get the new stadium project back on track. In June it was finally announced that King would be joining the board and spearhead the plans to relocate to Great Coates.

Mr King today asked the council to reconsider their decision to block the plan for Town's move to Great Coates, which arrived shortly after news of his appointment to the board. On July 13th, North East Lincolnshire council unexpectedly and controversially voted against a change to the county's local plan which would have allowed the planning permission process to start.

Grimbarian King who, in addition to his work for Newcastle, helped oversea the development of Sunderland's Stadium of Light, said today before his first board room meeting: "I don't know whether the decision of the council can be reconsidered. I'm not a politician but I do know that the club needs help and I do know that there are a lot of people out there who realise the importance of the club to the community."

Although the council have appointed consultants who are currently looking at other sites in the county, Mr King urged that the council do as they have promised and make sure that this exercise is conducted rapidly. He pointed out that a vast amount of work is required in setting up plans for a new stadium and getting the financial partners and sponsors to help fund any development. This work has already been carried out once, of course, by the club at the Great Coates site, at a cost of around £160K.

Whatever happens with the new ground, it needs to be done fast! The club are losing money rapidly, the squad desperately needs strengthening, and Town have to compete in a Division of, in the main, much larger teams with far bigger attendances and resources. The longer the delay for the new stadium goes on the harder the task becomes for the Mariners.

Hopefully Alex King can help turning things around for the beleaguered Mariners!

Do you think the prospects of a new ground have been improved by Alex King taking up his new position?

Whatever you think, get it off your chest - we want to know! Let us know on the Pontoonites Message Board!

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