Homesbook Factoring Caplan

Relocation Project

The Journey Home

By exercising our option to terminate our lease at Broadwood, Clyde Football Club has committed to a strategic priority of returning to the city where the club was founded almost 150 years ago.

This was a decisive commitment ending years of speculation. It is a step taken with every confidence that this ambition will be realised. Our plans now put the longer term objective of sustainable growth and stability in our own stadium to the top of the agenda, and will finally “level the playing field” between ourselves and those of our peers who have benefited from autonomy at their own stadia throughout.

While, as a club, we cannot share every twist and turn as we would like, the key landmarks will be collated on this page as information goes into the public domain, and issues relating to the Relocation will be answered in Q&A format below. These will be revised as the project develops and suggestions for new topics are welcomed, and can be submitted online.

Relocation Q&A

Clyde FC Community Foundation is currently working with Glasgow City Council exploring a range of council-owned assets which could be developed to accommodate the needs of the charity, including the provision of a community football stadium to which the club would relocate. Some options are at a more advanced stage as they were being explored in tandem with our previous PMGC application, but further options have now been added for consideration. It is expected that a final decision will be made after consultation with supporters.
Our lease at New Douglas Park is for three seasons with an option to extend for a further two. We believe that moving after the third season (2024/25) may still achievable, but the option of additional seasons offers a contingency if required. The answer to this now depends very much on which site is secured, and especially on whether it already has infrastructure or is a “build from scratch”. Additionally, it will depend on which process us used to acquire land. The Community Foundation has the option of using a Community Asset Transfer (CAT) or going through the People Make Glasgow Communities Process (PMGC) as previous. The PMGC process is generally more efficient, but comes without some of the procedural protections offered by CAT.

The day to day work on this project is being carried out by a sub committee of the Community Foundation on which Clyde FC is equally represented. The size of this sub committee will allow us to move at pace on a new application, and the groundwork carried out previously is largely transferable to a fresh bid, so we are by no means starting over.

Both a CAT and the PMGC process allow for a variety of options including either management, lease, or outright ownership of assets. The stated intention of the Community Foundation from the outset has been to purchase land outright. In this scenario, as Clyde FC Community Foundation and Clyde FC are separate companies, Clyde FC would be leasing from the Community Foundation. As a club, we have often talked about the difficulties of not “owning” our own ground, but the more precise terminology is that our needs are to have autonomy in our own ground, and this will be achieved.
This is, perhaps, the most common question asked of the relocation team. The answer is that it’s up to you! While certain ambitions might be tempered by resources, the truth is that it’s up to supporters and the local community to input their requirements and the stadium will, as far as possible reflect those ambitions. By popular demand, we are aware that no one wants a single all-seated stand, and that a return of traditional terracing will be welcomed. Once land is secured, the Community Foundation will be consulting with supporters of the club on this subject.

Relocation News

Read More
Relocation Update
Clyde FC Community Foundation has, this week, been informed that the site for which...
Crownpoint Bid Submitted
Clyde FC Community Foundation has now submitted the final documents in its bid for...
Consultation Draws To A Close
The Community Foundation’s public consultation relating to the bid for Crownpoint is now drawing...