SCARBOROUGH Athletic have been forced to groundshare with Yorkshire rivals Bridlington Town.
The non-league outfit will temporarily host home games 17 miles away after £3million worth of pitch damage was discovered.
Scarborough’s postseason plans went up in smoke after a site survey found serious structural issues with the pitch at the town’s Sports Village.
But Bridlington, who play in the ninth tier, have agreed for the Seadogs to share their pitch until it’s sorted out.
The club confirmed Scarborough, who play higher up in the sixth tier, would not be charged for use of the stadium.
North Yorkshire Council own the ground and said the new pitch could cost more than £3million to repair.
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The club’s artificial 3G pitch was due to be replaced after the final home game on April 21, in time for the start of next season.
But a pitch inspection found that extensive work is needed before the turf can be resurfaced.
Scarborough chairman Trevor Bull said he was “talking to several parties about making bus and train services available” for fans.
The club are working on a financial plan in case they needed to play the full season at their temporary home.
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There is no confirmed scheduled date for repair work to start but a Scarborough spokesperson said they were in constant talks with the council.
The National League North side will face a “shortfall” from missing out on matchday revenue streams including food and drink sales, hospitality packages, shop sales and an expected drop in attendance.
At Bridlington, the ground will require extra work to ensure it is “step two compliant” in accordance with FA Guidelines for stadium regulations.
Scarborough finished 13th last season, while Bridlington avoided relegation after coming 18th in the Northern East Counties.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
