Source: FOOTYMAD
Rebuilding plans announced
work should begin within a year Now that Oldham Council have agreed to a £5.7m deal to secure the future of the Latics, the club now needs to find a development partner to help finance rebuilding the dilapidated Boundary Park ground. The Council will buy and take over the doomed plan of the Lancaster Club and will also give a £700,000 grant as well as renegotiatiating the lease on the Chapel Road training facility. Some of the money will be used for a new stand which will replace the demolished Lookers Stand and some of the cash would go to paying off some of the debt owed to former co-owners Simon Blitz and Danny Gazal. Plans are being developed to begin work within a year and it is hoped that the rebuilding will include a hotel, gym, retail and leisure facilities and a conferencing suite. Simon Corney commented, “There's a long way to go but this deal secures our future in the town. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise we need millions more. But that is now the challenge for us.”Councillor Jim McMahon added, “We have been holding lengthy and positive negotiations with Oldham Athletic for many weeks. The professional football club is of vital importance to this borough and we identified ending its decade of uncertainty as a key priority within our first 100 days in office. The choice is pretty simple - keep it or lose it. We are in no doubt that if we were ever to lose it, we would never get it back.”
