Last updated 07:32, Friday, 05 September 2008

WORKINGTON Reds football club has set up a petition opposing plans to build a new stadium in the town.

More than 300 people have already signed the petition, which is available at the club’s ground, Borough Park, on match days.

Allerdale council wants to develop the land on the banks of the River Derwent into a sports and leisure complex.

It has two options on the table – either refurbish the existing Borough Park and Workington Town rugby league club’s Derwent Park or create a 10,000-capacity shared stadium. Speedway side Workington Comets, who meet at Derwent Park, would not have a home at the new venue.

The authority began consulting on its proposals earlier this year.

The consultation ended last week and the findings will be presented to the Derwent Valley task group at the end of the month.

Workington Reds are against the plans for a shared stadium.

Director Alec Graham said: “It has been made clear that our club is not in favour of the new stadium and so we have set up a petition.

“It started at the last home game and it will continue for the next couple of weeks.

“We want to be in charge of our own destiny and being part of a user group in a single stadium will not allow us to do that.

“All the football clubs we have spoken to that share a ground with another team have told us that it does not work.

“It is important that we keep our Borough Park site because the council have already told us it will be used as a training pitch.

“If that is the case, then why not just let us play on it?

“We have only been consulted on this project once by the council and that is not good enough.”

It is understood that some of the controversy over the shared stadium centres on Workington Town’s lease of Derwent Park; the rugby league side has 150 years remaining and it is believed the club would receive cash from the council for giving it up early.

But, said chairman Dave Bowden, the club has not discussed the amount with the authority.

He added: “The lease is insignificant. People have bandied figures about but they are worlds apart from what we would actually receive.

“The issue is doing what is best for the people of Workington. If it is decided that one stadium would be the best thing then we would support that but if it was not financially viable then we would be happy to stay at Derwent Park.”

If a shared stadium is rejected, then it is likely both grounds would be upgraded and a leisure centre built in the Derwent Valley. A decision about the future of Workington Leisure Centre at Moorclose has yet to be made.