Homesbook Factoring Caplan

Club Statement

Clyde Football Club can announce that it is in discussions with East Kilbride Thistle regarding a potential opportunity to develop a community focused stadium at the Showpark in East Kilbride.

To this end, the club has begun to work through the process with the aim to develop a sports complex at the site which will be able to host an SFL compliant stadium and other sporting activities within a community facility in the heart of East Kilbride.

This process is likely to be lengthy and subject to a number of hurdles, however the club is hopeful of achieving a positive outcome by working in partnership with East Kilbride Thistle, South Lanarkshire Council and East Kilbride Open Cattle Society.

There is little that can be added at this time due to the length of the process and the number of major issues requiring to be resolved to allow the successful development of the 17 acre site. It is hoped that on completion of these critical formal processes, the club will be able to engage fully with its supporters and community in the plans for the long term development of the Showpark.

In December 2010, Clyde FC announced that it planned to move from Broadwood Stadium for the sake of the long term sustainability of the club. Clyde has since held positive talks with their landlord, North Lanarkshire Leisure Trust, and have developed appropriate exit terms.

Since that announcement, Clyde has looked to stay close to Cumbernauld and has sought support from North Lanarkshire Council with a view to minimising disruption to supporters and those working around the club. Initial optimism at finding a local site with the assistance of NLC evaporated early on and the club made its own efforts to find alternatives. Unfortunately, we have not been able to identify an appropriate site and will therefore pursue the potential development at the Showpark as it currently presents Clyde FC with the best opportunity to achieve a permanent base in which it can have control over its own destiny for the first time in over 60 years. 

The long term nature of the project means that Clyde have no imminent plans to leave Cumbernauld and plan to remain at Broadwood until an alternative location is secured beyond doubt.