LL - Stadium Is "Vital".

By: Stephen Bateman
Date: 05/12/2000

Mariners boss Lennie Lawrence has spoken out over Grimsby Town's plans to move to a new stadium ahead of tomorrows crucial NELC meeting. Lawrence said that a move to a new ground was "vital for the development of the club".

Citing the improvement in fortunes that his former club Middlesbrough enjoyed after moving to the Riverside Stadium as an example, Lawrence commented: "Attendances almost doubled and I'm sure that the same would apply here. Had we played Crystal Palace in a new stadium, I'm sure that the attendance would have been twice that of Blundell Park. "It's vital that we try and keep up with clubs in this division who have far greater resources than us. The club, the area and the town needs it and it will be a massive disappointment for everybody concerned if it's turned down," said Lawrence, speaking to the club's commercial manager, Tim Harvey. "A new stadium would put us on a more level playing field in terms of attracting new players. When we won promotion at Middlesbrough, we were getting crowds of 15 to 20,000 - with a new stadium, their attendances have rocketed. "It will make a massive difference," emphasised the Grimsby manager. "If people are going to turn it down, they need to know the consequences of their actions. Although Blundell Park can be an intimidating place, it's going to be difficult to move forward unless we get the go-ahead for the new stadium."

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