Gloucestershire find home for 21,000 capacity ground
Gloucestershire have identified a site just north of Bristol as their preferred new ground, with hopes that they could stage matches from 2029 at a 21,000-capacity venue.
The site of the proposed new ground is around five miles from the current county ground and covers 20 acres, which is two times the size of Nevil Road. The club have begun discussions with local councils about making the move.
Last year, as Telegraph Sport first revealed, Gloucestershire decided to explore moving away from their current headquarters, which has been their home since 1889. Nevil Road is felt to be too small, preventing the club from generating enough revenue from non-cricket events and hospitality.
There are also major concerns over the drainage at the current ground: three of the last six men’s one-day internationals there have been abandoned, dramatically reducing Gloucestershire’s earnings. Not helped by England’s one-day international against Ireland being abandoned last September, the club recorded losses of £1.19 million in the year until January 2024. The financial problems have led to several senior board members facing severe pressure from club members. Gloucestershire’s chairman, David Jones, was voted out of his position at the club AGM on Monday.
The planned new site sits near the M4. The club believe that it is significantly better equipped to accommodate large numbers of spectators for matches and other events.
It is envisaged that the new ground would have a capacity of over 20,000, placing it among the top six largest grounds in the country – below Lords, the Oval, Edgbaston and Old Trafford, and at a similar level to the Ageas Bowl in Hampshire.
As well as elite cricket, the new site is planned to have a nursery ground, where other teams, such as youth sides and the second XI, can play. It is also hoped the size of the venue will allow for a high-class indoor school to be built, together with significant parking facilities. It is also planned that there will be a major on-site hotel, enabling the club to develop conference facilities that can ensure that the venue continues to generate funds for the club during the off-season. There are likely to be retail facilities nearby, with broader plans to redevelop the surrounding area.
The club believe that the venue could even host a second sport, such as tennis or five-a-side football.
Gloucestershire hope that a larger ground will strengthen the club’s case to attract major matches. The club already stage an England men’s white-ball match every year, although this is often towards the end of the season, with this year’s game against Australia taking place on September 29, and are hosting a women’s international in five of the next eight seasons.
The new venue is considered an ideal ground to host a side in the Hundred tournament. The competition is expected to expand from its current eight sides in 2029 – the same season as Gloucestershire envisage beginning to play at the new ground. It is possible that the ground move could be phased in, with a relatively light fixture list in 2029 in preparation for a full move in 2030, when England are co-hosting the T20 World Cup and Gloucestershire hope to stage matches. But it is understood that Gloucestershire have no ambitions to host men’s Test matches.
It is planned that the sale of the current ground, which could be worth over £30 million, would fund the bulk of the new venue, where the cost of land is cheaper. Gloucestershire are also hopeful that the new project could receive grants because of its wider impact upon the South Gloucestershire area.
