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Gloucester City are “within touching distance” of returning home after having their funding application for a new ground accepted.

The club have had verbal confirmation that they have been successful in their application to the Football Stadia Improvement Fund and will receive the formal offer next week, which will be subject to meeting conditions that are currently not known.

Plans to build the new ground at Meadow Park were accepted by Gloucester City Council earlier this year and once the club accept the offer and clear the conditions through the legal process, they can start building work.

Co-chairmen Eamonn McGurk and Alex Petheram will pay a seven-figure sum in addition to the grant money the club will receive for the 3,208 capacity stadium to be built.

“We’ve had verbal confirmation that our funding application has been accepted by the FSIF (Football Stadia Improvement Fund),” the club said in a statement.

“We’re waiting for the formal offer to be issued next week, which will be a conditional offer for us to review.

“Once accepted the legal teams will be instructed to conclude the application. A further update will be made at the end of next week, but this is a massive step forward in bringing the club back home.

“Thank you to everyone that’s been involved, there has been some very late nights getting this done - the finishing line is in sight!”

(Image: Gloucester City)

Gloucester have been without a home since their old ground was damaged by floods in 2007 and are currently sharing with Evesham United.

They could still return during the current season, although no date has been set yet with each stage of the process taking longer than hoped.

“We’re going to get a conditional offer and once that’s accepted the ball can start rolling with the Stadium Improvement Fund,” said Petheram.

“Time has slipped away from us throughout that is not in our control.

“We want to get home this season. I want all pre-season games (in 2020) to be there in the worst case.

“We are in touching distance now.”

Gloucester City also progressed to the third qualifying round of the FA Cup today after a 5-0 win at Kidlington with Marlon Jackson scoring a hat-trick and one apiece for Sam Avery and Zack Kotwica.

With Mike Cook’s side also making a decent start to the season in National League North to sit 15th after 11 games and season ticket sales higher than previous years, Petheram insists the club is now moving in the right direction.

He said: “Everything is falling into place at the moment. It’s been a hell of a journey.”