Homeless Isthmian League club Grays Athletic launch a petition to move into the Ship Lane stadium left neglected since 2018.
In Little Thurrock, the club first played at Hoppit Ground, before moving to the New Recreation Ground in 1906, and remained there until 2010. The club groundshared with East Thurrock United at the Rookery Hill in Corringham after the ground was sold.
The club shared the Rush Green Stadium ground with West Ham United reserves, who at the time were playing in the Professional Development League.
Grays moved to Aveley’s Mill Field ground in June after West Ham pulled out of their deal, then Grays moved in as tenants to Parkside when Aveley moved in 2017.
Grays announced in February 2023 that the club would groundshare with Tilbury for the 2023/24 season.
But the Blues, currently chasing promotion from the Isthmian League North Division, are hoping to move into Thurrock FC’s derelict ground in Aveley.
Grays are now part of a fourth formal request to build a car-preparation plant on the site after two applications for Group One Automotive were rejected, and Thurrock Council refused to grant permission for a third application.
A fourth application, however, has been submitted to council planners. This time Grays Athletic is a formal partner as this is the final attempt to move in.
GRAYS ATHLETIC FC FOR SHIP LANE – Sign the Petition! https://t.co/uOnUlPKO5h via @UKChange pease sign and help us make Ship Lane or new home ground. Without a home to call our own the clubs very existence is at a real danger. Thurrock council do the right thing
— Grays Athletic Football Club (@GraysAthleticFC) April 13, 2023
CHANGE.ORG PAGE
Thank you for continuing to follow the fortunes of Grays Athletic. Our football club is at an important stage of our long history and we really need your help.
Grays Athletic has been homeless for 13 years after losing its spiritual home The New Recreational Ground in its hometown of Grays in 2010. The New Rec was sold for housing and the club did not receive one penny from the sale of the land to assist us to relocate elsewhere in Thurrock. The club has led a nomadic life ever since.
Thurrock Council are due to decide on the planning application to redevelop land next to the former Thurrock Football Club in Ship Lane after a site visit for the Council’s Planning Committee members, which is currently being organised.
The planning application is to develop currently unused and uncared for land behind the football stadium and transform it into a car preparation plant.
As part of this application, the current unused and derelict football ground will be gifted to Grays Athletic for community use. As part of the agreement, the club will sign a legally binding contract ensuring that the ground can never be sold for redevelopment and will remain in constant football use. As part of the agreement, Grays Athletic will offer 50% community use alongside its own teams.
Grays Athletic Community Football Club is 100% supporter owned and run and has been part of Thurrock’s community for 133 years. The club. can boast 20 boy and girl youth teams from ages 5-23, a thriving women’s football team, the men’s senior 1st team, walking football teams for over 50s, a Sunday league team and vets team. The club is building its standing in the local area and is a true community football club serving all peoples of Thurrock.
Having a stadium to call our own again after 13 years would be huge for the club and secure our long-term future. Without a ground to call our own the club’s very existence is at risk, ending 133 years of footballing history in the borough of Thurrock.
PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE THIS PETITION AND HELP US BRING SHIP LANE BACK TO LIFE!
Director Glyn Jarvis, told a planning meeting of Thurrock Council that this is last chance saloon for the club, which has a 130 year history.
“We are 100% owned by our supporters, a true community football club,” he said, as per BBC.
“We have been homeless since 2010. We understand the Ship Lane land has been valued at £3m by the selling agent.
“We could never afford to buy this site. Through this planning application we will be given the stadium for free. If approved we will bring the dilapidated ground back to life after five years of it lying completely dormant.
“This is the last chance saloon for our football club.”
The council had 220 representations in support of the plan, however 56 objections and a 618 signature petition against it.
“The football club will be the sole beneficiary of this application and it will not be for the benefit of the general community of Purfleet or Aveley who are both against this plan,” said John Rowles, chairman of the Purfleet-on-Thames Community Forum.
“The application will destroy one of the last green buffers between the M25, A13, Purfleet-on-Thames and Aveley. We suffer from some of the worst air quality in the area which will be made worse by the increase in vehicle movements.”
The planning committee voted deferring a decision. A second linked one would see a 3G pitch constructed on Belhus Park Lane in Aveley. This was done to allow for site visits.
Grays Athletic – League History (via FCHD)
SEASON LEAGUE P W D L F A P POS 1912-13 ATHEN 16 4 6 6 18 23 14 5/9 1913-14 ATHEN 22 13 3 6 43 27 29 3/12 1945-46 CORINTH 16 14 2 0 59 14 30 1/9 1946-47 CORINTH 24 12 5 7 70 59 29 5/13 1947-48 CORINTH 26 13 5 8 68 56 31 5/14 1948-49 CORINTH 24 12 4 8 73 58 28 5/13 1949-50 CORINTH 26 10 8 8 63 62 28 6/14 1950-51 CORINTH 26 11 5 10 68 54 27 6/14 1951-52 CORINTH 26 19 5 2 77 35 43 2/14 1952-53 CORINTH 26 11 6 9 58 47 28 6/14 1953-54 CORINTH 26 12 2 12 62 50 26 5/14 1954-55 CORINTH 28 18 3 7 74 41 39 2/15 1955-56 CORINTH 26 13 3 10 48 48 29 6/14 1956-57 CORINTH 28 16 8 4 81 43 40 2/15 1957-58 CORINTH 28 17 6 5 82 28 40 3/15 1958-59 ATHEN 30 11 11 8 67 52 33 5/16 1959-60 ATHEN 30 10 5 15 59 64 25 11/16 1960-61 ATHEN 30 7 5 18 46 74 19 14/16 1961-62 ATHEN 30 13 3 14 56 65 29 8/16 1962-63 ATHEN 30 9 3 18 54 88 21 13/16 1963-64 ATHEN-P 26 9 4 13 27 43 22 11/14 1964-65 ATHEN-P 30 8 4 18 48 75 20 14/16 1965-66 ATHEN-P 30 8 10 12 41 54 26 10/16 1966-67 ATHEN-P 30 11 7 12 45 50 29 10/16 1967-68 ATHEN-P 30 11 6 13 45 54 28 11/16 1968-69 ATHEN-P 30 7 7 16 34 48 21 13/16 1969-70 ATHEN-P 30 9 8 13 26 40 26 12/16 1970-71 ATHEN-P 30 7 2 21 27 68 16 15/16 1971-72 ATHEN-P 30 1 4 25 25 111 6 16/16 1972-73 ATHEN-1 30 16 5 9 33 27 37 3/16 1973-74 ATHEN-1 34 8 12 14 34 40 28 13/18 1974-75 ATHEN-1 34 20 7 7 68 35 47 3/18 1975-76 ATHEN-1 30 15 6 9 39 29 36 4/16 1976-77 ATHEN-1 34 6 10 18 38 63 22 16/18 1977-78 ATHEN 34 20 8 6 72 31 48 3/18 1978-79 ATHEN 36 17 8 11 55 46 42 9/19 1979-80 ATHEN 38 20 2 16 69 48 42 7/20 1980-81 ATHEN 38 23 7 8 81 42 53 4/20 1981-82 ATHEN 36 10 8 18 41 62 28 16/19 1982-83 ATHEN 38 25 3 10 79 27 53 2/20 1983-84 ISTH-2 42 20 9 13 72 57 69 8/22 1984-85 ISTH-2S 36 24 9 3 84 25 81 1/19 1985-86 ISTH-1 42 13 11 18 69 75 50 14/22 1986-87 ISTH-1 42 19 10 13 76 64 67 6/22 1987-88 ISTH-1 42 30 10 2 74 25 100 2/22 1988-89 ISTH-P 42 19 13 10 62 47 70 5/22 1989-90 ISTH-P 42 19 13 10 59 44 70 5/22 1990-91 ISTH-P 42 20 8 14 66 53 68 6/22 1991-92 ISTH-P 42 14 11 17 53 68 53 15/22 1992-93 ISTH-P 42 18 11 13 61 64 65 6/22 1993-94 ISTH-P 42 15 5 22 56 69 50 14/22 1994-95 ISTH-P 42 11 16 15 57 61 49 18/22 1995-96 ISTH-P 42 11 11 20 43 63 44 17/22 1996-97 ISTH-P 42 8 9 25 43 78 33 21/22 1997-98 ISTH-1 42 21 10 11 79 49 73 6/22 1998-99 ISTH-1 42 19 11 12 56 42 68 6/22 1999-00 ISTH-1 42 21 12 9 80 44 75 2/22 2000-01 ISTH-P 42 14 8 20 49 68 50 15/22 2001-02 ISTH-P 42 20 10 12 65 55 70 6/22 2002-03 ISTH-P 46 14 11 21 53 59 53 19/24 2003-04 ISTH-P 46 22 15 9 82 39 81 6/24 2004-05 CONF-S 42 30 8 4 118 31 98 1/22 2005-06 CONF-Nat 42 21 13 8 94 55 76 3/22 2006-07 CONF-Nat 46 13 13 20 56 55 52 19/24 2007-08 CONF-Nat 46 19 13 14 58 47 70 10/24 2008-09 CONF-Nat 46 14 10 22 44 64 52 19/24 2009-10 CONF-Nat 44 5 13 26 35 91 26 23/23 2010-11 ISTH-1N 40 17 10 13 69 51 61 10/21 2011-12 ISTH-1N 42 24 8 10 79 47 77 * 5/22 2012-13 ISTH-1N 42 32 6 4 96 38 102 1/22 2013-14 ISTH-P 46 17 10 19 74 82 61 14/24 2014-15 ISTH-P 46 22 8 16 70 57 74 6/24 2015-16 ISTH-P 46 15 12 19 63 74 57 15/24 2016-17 ISTH-P 46 11 5 30 46 101 38 24/24 2017-18 ISTH-1N 46 14 14 18 72 80 56 16/24 2018-19 ISTH-N 38 14 11 13 65 64 53 7/20 2019-20 ISTH-1N 29 9 4 16 41 47 31 ABAND 2020-21 ISTH-1N 6 3 1 2 5 6 10 ABAND 2021-22 ISTH-1N 38 20 8 10 69 38 68 6/20
This is what fans had to say as the homeless Isthmian League club launch a petition to move into the stadium left neglected since 2018…
@Swiftt13434110: Fan of a rival club but still important that every club has a place to call home , good luck
@slough_womble: Signed & shared as all clubs deserve a ground to call home. Good luck for the future
@comeonyouirons0: Rivalry aside hope you guys get this you need a home that canvey can come and make a good atmosphere all signed and shared lads
@Nottsclassics: Signed and shared from a Hucknall Town fan
@slough_womble: All clubs need a place to call home and Wimbledon fans know this more than most so please sign to help another club secure their own home
@WHUHistorian: @GraysAthleticFC have been a huge part of the Essex footballing community for the past 133 years & want to give back to that community that has long supported them by making their new permanent home a place for the community in Thurrock. So please sign the petition!!
@nickhancock741: Such a shame to see a perfectly usable ground decaying when it could be put to good use. Good luck in your efforts to take it on 👍
@liamh1893: Great stadium and a club locally that needs a home. Should be a no brainier for any council to find a way to make it happen
@geoffl65: If Thurrock Council allow this stadium to remain unused or ultimately demolished, it will be absolutely criminal #ShipLaneForGraysAth
@amckenna113: Every club deserves a home and the need to understand the investment into the local area should be a priority and not just building houses
@ekctafc: It’s a nice little stadium. It really should not be going to waste like this.
@ScraleySam: Hope you are successful in your bid to make this home. I’d rather go to Ship Lane to rekindle old memories and hopefully see new ones achieved by you guys. Good luck 🤞
@DOF1981: Criminal that they’re not playing here, community club should get the help from council etc to make this a hub. Just like every town! #UpTheSwifts
@City11Shun: Absolute disgrace. Why is it being allowed to rot like that when a great club like yours is looking for a new home.
@OverTheHillUK: Sights like this are appearing too often! The fact the facilities are still there & could with some work be turned back into a functioning stadium, should be a no brainer for any local council. 🤷♂️
@thecoldend: Whoever makes the decision to let @GraysAthleticFC move into Ship Lane needs to make it soon. It would be of benefit to many local residents not just footy fans.
In the area and had some time to kill so went and had a look at ship lane, so sad seeing it in the state that it is. Fingers crossed @GraysAthleticFC can get permission to have this as there new home 🤞 pic.twitter.com/HlquwK2ZhW
— Spencer (@SpencerH2003) April 12, 2023
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