Exeter City fans vote on £2.2m Cliff Hill upgrade
Club set to press on with ambitious plans to upgrade training ground by September 2022
EXETER City Supporters’ Trust members will soon vote on whether the club presses ahead with plans for a £2.2 million redevelopment of the club’s Cliff Hill training complex, which it hopes will be completed by September 2022.
The Grecians have made no secret of the fact the jewel in their crown is their superb academy and it is the sale of one of their graduates, England international Ollie Watkins, that has provided them with a considerable cash sum to be able to fund the project.
However, the existing structure at the training ground – a temporary wooden structure built in the 1970s, which is just about still standing desperately needs replacing with a more modern facility that can cater for its first team and Academy staff and players.
Planning permission has been granted - a preferred supplier, Enviro Building Solutions Limited (Modular Building Manufacturer) is in place and if the club gets a 50 per-cent plus one majority vote from its Trust members, which is expected, then the club will sign contracts at the end of this month with an estimated completion date and handover of September 2022.
“After many years of planning, the club now finds itself in a positive financial situation which allows it to propose a significant £2.2 million investment in the training facilities at Cliff Hill,” a letter to Trust members read.
“Considering a sensible view of the club’s cash position, the club board forecasts sufficient cash to undertake the investment except for a short period in the summer of 2022 when development cash is at its highest and ahead of a £1m-plus tranche of fees from recent player transfers due in September.
“This paper outlines the case for the investment, the approach taken to forecasting and sensitising this forecast, and requests Trust members approval to proceed with the project (subject to subsequent external financial due diligence), along with approval for a potential loan from the Trust to the Club of up to £600,000 for a period and under terms to be determined.”
The Grecians have also received significant sums for the likes of academy graduates Matt Grimes, Ethan Ampadu, Jordan Storey and Joel Randall in recent years, which has put them in such a healthy financial state.
The new building would be a twotier facility comprising a new and larger gymnasium, proper canteen facilities (no longer shared with the gym), larger changing facilities, proper office accommodation and a theatre/analysis/classroom.
The outcome of the ballot will be announced at 4pm on Thursday, October 28 at St James Park and manager Matt Taylor is excited at the prospect of what he and the Grecians could have in less than a year’s time.
“I’ve been in so many meetings behind the scenes and been lucky enough to be a part of them because a lot of people for an awfully long time have been working towards this,” Taylor said.
“It’s what the club needs to take it to the next level. I think it’s fair comment to say that the stadium has moved in the right direction in recent seasons, the pitches at both the stadium and the training ground have, and the AstroTurf is a fantastic facility as well.