ARTICLE: Gawthorpe close to opening its doors

[ClaretTony]

Some new photographs in the gallery

See link
http://www.uptheclarets.com/gawthorpe-c ... -its-doors

[randomclaret2]

Some good photos as ever Tony. Not sure the new sign is being treated with the respect it deserves though !

[ClaretTony]

It's been brilliant to see the progress on my visits down there. Today was the first time in 7 weeks. They've even got a pathway for us now to walk down to the youth pitches.

[randomclaret2]

No more ankle deep mud to get to the Youth pitches?...the game's gone...

[ClaretTony]

No more ankle deep mud to get to the Youth pitches?...the game's gone...

The path used to be there but it became a bulldozer track for the builders and last time I was down there it was a case of walking through ankle deep mud in places to get to the pitch. Today the path was back in place as the whole place gets closer and closer to completion. We all know now that the building is all but done and once it is all landscaped and all the pathways are in place it really will look brilliant.

I've been going down there for years watching the youth team, and before that the A & B teams. I never thought I'd ever see what's happened at Gawthorpe in the last year.

[randomclaret2]

What's happening with the building they have been using " the bungalow " Tony ? . No doubt the various portakabins around it will eventually go , but will it be retained ?

[John Johnson 1605]

I'd love a tour. Is this possible ?

[newminted]

I'd love a tour. Is this possible ?

They said on the recent Turf More show on CP that they are trying to figure a way out of doing an open day but it isnt straight foreward by any means.

[John Johnson 1605]

Thanks mate.

[Funkydrummer]

I'd love a tour. Is this possible ?

I fear this may be the nearest we will get to a tour. We live in hope though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf5i00jOQXE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[cutsy123]

Jus go down and climb over and have a look around the site. We did

[Royboyclaret]

It's all a far cry from the summer of 1955 when manager Alan Brown and a few of the team, with the aid of a few shovels, set about converting 79 acres of farmland into a training ground with three full-sized pitches, dressing rooms and a gym.

And the rest, as they say.......is history.

[Burnleyareback2]

Wonderful. What a fantastic time for BFC

[Claretforever]

It's all a far cry from the summer of 1955 when manager Alan Brown and a few of the team, with the aid of a few shovels, set about converting 79 acres of farmland into a training ground with three full-sized pitches, dressing rooms and a gym.

And the rest, as they say.......is history.

Amazing to think we were one of the first, or THE first to own our own purpose built training ground. Times move on.

I'm genuinely interested where the 79 acres is from though, if you don't mind me asking? I've seen it elsewhere that it's 61.55 acres, that's all. I notice on the video they say about 30-40 acres, plus another 10(they weren't specific), but it's far larger than that.

[Royboyclaret]

No problem......It's from the Tim Quelch book ' Never Had It So Good', which chronicles Burnley's '59/'60 league title triumph. There's lots of detail regarding the acquisition of Gawthorpe and how Alan Brown set about converting the farmland into the original training ground.

Bob Lord tells how the 79 acre site was purchased, although not without Board member misgivings about the price.

[claretblue]

I remember (in the 60's) Gawthorpe being the envy of many 1st Division clubs.

Burnley was considered 'forward thinking' with it's dedicated training facilities.

Very proud that the club have reinvigorated and upgraded this complex!

UTC

[randomclaret2]

Bob Lord himself mentions 79 acres in " My fight for football "

[ClaretTony]

What's happening with the building they have been using " the bungalow " Tony ? . No doubt the various portakabins around it will eventually go , but will it be retained ?

The bungalow was, until not many years ago, Arthur Bellamy's home but has been used for last three years or so as a media building. That's where you see the Thursday afternoon Sean Dyche interviews on SSN, in Arthur's old bedroom. Then there is the building next to it which had a lot of money spent on it in 2011 which houses the current requirements of the first team players.

I did hear a suggestion that it could be used as a match day building, i.e. dressing rooms for the two teams for youth games and any behind closed doors games. I don't know whether that's the case but I'm at a meeting this week when I'll have the opportunity to ask.

Regarding an open day. I think the club are keen to arrange something but, given its location, an open day as such would not likely be possible.

[Claretforever]

No problem......It's from the Tim Quelch book ' Never Had It So Good', which chronicles Burnley's '59/'60 league title triumph. There's lots of detail regarding the acquisition of Gawthorpe and how Alan Brown set about converting the farmland into the original training ground.

Bob Lord tells how the 79 acre site was purchased, although not without Board member misgivings about the price.

Thanks Royboy. The size of the site I refer to is in the justification statement for the new development, and mentions the overall site being 249,082 square meters (61.55 acres). Upon checking the book, he does mention several times about the 79 and a 1/3 acres purchased, but later in the chapter talks of compulsory purchase by the National Coal Board for some of the land, which seems to be on the old barn side of the river, although the river was re-routed. I wonder if that's the difference?

[ClaretTony]

Back in the early days of Gawthorpe the barn was the only building we had there and was the changing rooms. Eventually Bob Lord wanted to knock it down but was told he couldn't because it was a listed building so he said he would get it repaired. It was the roof that needed repairing and that was why the building was listed so Lord was snookered. The result of that was we sold the barn and built the new building that remains in use today.

[Claretforever]

So it appears that two things have happened to that 79.1/3 acres; firstly the NCB made a compulsory purchase for a section, and then secondly Lord sold a small part of it for strategic reasons? The recent figure of 61.55 acres(249K m2) is possibly correct then?



As a side note, I've just checked and Blackburn appear to have less than 40 acres in total over their two sites(Senior and Academy centres), which are situated 3/4 mile apart. You could basically fit both of their training grounds inside ours and have room to spare. Limited land availability possibly the reason they had to separate theirs? Useless Information but there you go.

[randomclaret2]

Didn't Owen Coyle say you could fit the whole of Brockhall into Gawthorpe ?

[wilks_bfc]

Hope some tours will be available.
Maybe before preseason starts when there won't be any/many players using it?