Scarborough Athletic Urges Fans to Rally Behind Club Amidst Bridlington Relocation

Club Chairman Trevor Bull is hoping Boro fans will turn out in large numbers for the clubs home games in Bridlington.

Scarborough Athletic Football Club is facing a significant financial challenge as it prepares to play its home games away from Scarborough for the upcoming season. With the club's home ground at Scarborough Sports Village currently out of action due to serious defects with the playing surface, the team has entered a ground-sharing arrangement with Bridlington Town, making the Mounting Systems Stadium in Bridlington their temporary home.

The club's board has acknowledged that this temporary relocation will lead to "significant financial losses". Previously, the club warned of a "quarter of a million pounds funding shortfall" for the coming season. Despite fundraising efforts like the "No Battle, No Victory" fund, current budget forecasting still indicates a shortfall of approximately £150,000, and the club is still looking at a "six figure deficit".

In light of these financial pressures, Scarborough Athletic Chairman Trevor Bull has issued a fervent call for supporters to make the journey to Bridlington to back the team.

"The big thing we're looking at now is how big our home attendance is going to be. It's gonna be absolutely critical to get as many people through to Bridlington as possible 'cause that's what's gonna change the dial for us.

We're still, with our forecast crowds at the moment, we're still looking at a six figure deficit. So we're not out of the woods yet. But if suddenly a big numbers start turning up in Bridlington then that changes. 

Trevor expressed his desire to see over a thousand people at every home game but acknowledged that this target represents a challenge for some supporters.

"I'd love to see over a thousand people there every home game, and if we can do that, that will make a massive difference.

It is a big drop from the crowds that we've been having in Scarborough, but we expect that. T here are people, elderly people some of our disabled supporters, they just cannot get to Bridlington.

The Valley Bar Sea Dogs are doing a great job, they're putting on buses to every home game which will hopefully help. And ofcourse, there's trains and service buses as well. So there's ways for people to get there and when they do get there they'll find a proper Bridlington welcome.

So really looking forward to the season, but I just hope, hope, hope that lots of people are gonna come through and support us. 

The club says it is committed to ensuring a positive experience for all fans travelling to the home games. Trevor says they are recruiting "Match Day Ambassadors" to help fans arriving at the Mounting Systems Stadium.

"We're wanting our supporters have the best match day possible.

And hopefully that means they'll keep going back every week 'cause we need them to do that.

So we're going to be having some volunteer match day ambassadors to help show people where to go help with car parking and all that sort of thing.

So we're really doing our best to make sure people have the best experience"

North Yorkshire Council has formally agreed to fund the necessary £3.2 million repairs to the pitch at the Scarborough Sports Village, including the installation of a FIFA Pro Plus pitch, with completion aimed for the 26/27 season.

In the meantime, the club says its financial stability and ability to navigate this period of relocation heavily depend on fan attendance. "We're not out of the woods yet," Bull cautioned, but expressed hope that "if suddenly big numbers start turning up in Bridlington, then that changes".