Publican backs new Bristol City stadium

Publican Rob Jones has given his backing to a new stadium for Bristol City and the development of Ashton Gate to pay for the new football ground.

Named after the team he supports just down the road, The Robins has long been a haunt of City fans.

Now the prospect of getting a new stadium to replace Ashton Gate has brought an extra buzz to the bar, and with it the hope that it could also bring World Cup games to Bristol.

Rob, 30, who has run The Robins on the corner of Winterstoke Road with Sarah Medcraft since January, said: "It would be fantastic, absolutely brilliant, if we got the stadium and even better if that meant World Cup matches."

Supermarket giant Tesco is believed to be offering City about £20 million for the current ground so it can build a new store.

Plans unveiled last week at an exhibition also revealed a petrol station and large car park as part of the scheme.

City wants to build its new stadium in Ashton Vale but the plan depends on the sale of the existing ground to Tesco, which said the project would lead to the creation of 400 jobs.

If the land went for housing instead it would be sold for much less.

The club said a food store was also a better option in a recession.

Rob, who also runs Bar BS3 on the other side of Ashton Gate and used to run the Ship and Castle in Ashton Vale, said his customers were backing City's stadium bid. He said: "I have no objection to Ashton Gate being used for a Tesco, even though as someone running a business it might be better for me if there were homes there.

"I would think land like that would always be used either for housing or a supermarket but in the current climate housing looks unlikely.

"I'm sure there will be objections, not least from other supermarkets in the area, and there will be obstacles to overcome but there are a lot of people in favour of a new stadium.

"As far as the World Cup is concerned, England could host it tomorrow because we have all the facilities.

"I'm sure we will get it, if not in 2018 than certainly in 2022. If it's then decided to have matches in the regions then I'm sure Bristol stands a good chance as long as this stadium is built."

Rob said he was even dropping his prices from this weekend to toast what he and other City supporters hope will be the outcome of the stadium proposal.

But the Tesco plan has failed to impress Bristol's best-known architect George Ferguson, who said the company would not get his backing if it put up "a big shed".

He said: "They have to grow up and recognise that that form of supermarket is a dinosaur."

Mr Ferguson said he did support the football club in getting high value for the site in order to make its new stadium work, but any supermarket should be part of a mixed-use community if it was to find favour with him.