Workington Reds vow to stay at Borough Park

By Martin Morgan

Last updated 13:01, Thursday, 02 October 2008

Defiant Workington Reds have vowed to fight any bid to boot the club off Borough Park, director Alec Graham warning: “Let them kick us off if they dare.”

Alec Graham

Plans for a £31m super stadium and leisure facility in Workington unveiled this week do not envisage first-team football being played at Reds’ stadium.

But the Blue Square North club have flatly refused to move to a shared stadium, which puts them on collision course with landlords Allerdale Council.

The Derwent Valley Task Group, made up of Allerdale councillors, has recommended the development of a combined sports stadium for Reds and neighbours Workington Town, on the current Tesco site.

Reds’ preferred option of a revamp of Borough Park and Town’s Derwent Park, plus community sports complex, was rejected.

But a meeting of Allerdale’s full council will make the final decision on November 5, and Reds are to lobby councillors in a bid to ensure they opt for their plan.

Graham is not surprised at the Task Group recommendation, declaring: “We always said it would boil down to this.

“We are the oldest of the sporting institutions involved, and we have been treated woefully.

“The council hasn’t decided to consult us in a way befitting an organisation with our history. We are not prepared to be dictated to.

“We don’t want to be beholden to someone else for our future. We want self-determination.”

Charles Holmes, head of regeneration at Allerdale Council, told News & Star Sport: “The recommended option proposes that the pitch at Borough Park be used as either a training pitch and reserves pitch or an all-weather pitch linked to the new leisure facility.

“An important element of this option is the environmental improvement to the gateway into Workington from the north and the opening up of the River Derwent corridor for sport, leisure and recreation.

“The final detail as to how this will be achieved is yet to be established and will be worked up over the next phase of the development.”

News & Star Sport understands that Reds chairman Humphrey Dobie has threatened to step down over the proposed super stadium issue.