Pickering Town Football Club has unveiled ambitious plans for a new stadium at Flamingo Land.

The club, which was formed in 1888, is aiming to protect its history and Mill Lane site by raising much-needed revenue through the move.

Chairman Jamie Hopwood said: "The goal we have set is to have a new grass pitch ready for our first team to play on for the first league game of the 2024 season.

"We are still in the very early stages of signing off the drawings and costings for the stadium build however we will be using a similar model to Salford City stadium build. We can build in stages that is required to meet the league rules for as and when gain promotions."

Jamie said Pickering Town FC had a wealth of history within the community formed in 1888.

"However, over last few years with Covid and the demise of senior football clubs as a club we currently face a couple of big challenges.

"The first challenge is the club's limited revenue streams. We receive money from:

turnstile fees, The Pikes Pantry, Match Day and club sponsorship, but the revenue just doesn’t come close to covering the current operating costs."

Jamie said costs included ground rent for the pitch, electric for floodlights, maintenance of the pitch, players' wages and referee fees

"Within the current structure at Mill Lane the Recreation Club gains from all Bar takings from the Football, Cricket and Bowls club."

Jamie said the second challenge was attracting local juniors, seniors and giving them a pathway into semi professional football.

"In previous years the club always had good numbers of local players in the team however over previous years we are having to search further a field for talent and paying higher wages to compete.

"To turn this around, firstly, we need to protect the club’s history and our current ground at Mill Lane.

"Next season we will have a second senior side that we will apply to the York League for their consideration to allow us to be accepted in as high standard as possible.

"This second senior team along with all our 11-a-side academy teams will get to use our current stadium at Mill Lane. It is pivotable that as a club we provide the correct solution to continue the development of all our players especially the ones who have not been getting in the first team regular, instead of missing out on valuable weekly game time, we will have a solution to further their development."

Jamie added: "In order to eradicate the club’s revenue problem, the goal we have set is to have a new grass pitch ready for our first team to play on for the first league game of the 2024 season.

"We are looking to start work on the new grass pitch in February 2024 in preparation to hit our goal.

"Phase 1 of the stadium build should allow for all changing room facilities by July 2024. We are then likely to have temporary bar and food facilities available for the first half of the season in preparation for the opening of the hospitality and bar area of the stadium by December 2024.

"The stadium will be located on the top area of Flamingo Land resort, however we will have our own entrance. The training pitches will be located at the bottom left hand side as you drive down the hill.

Jamie said: "We completely appreciate the main negative to this move is local people will have to travel from Pickering, Malton and surrounding area however we are looking at solutions to best overcome that issue.

"The huge positive and whole vision for this project is to create an amazing experience for the whole family, with multiple options and activities. One of the countries leading theme parks, swimming pool, gym, accommodation, football stadium and training facilities. A place for the whole family to be entertained and be together all week and weekends."

CEO of Flamingo Land, Gordon Gibb, said: "My father started sponsoring Pickering Town over 40 years ago and this is something that Flamingo Land has committed to proudly continue ever since.

"This is the beginning of a hugely exciting chapter in the Club's history and Flamingo Land is delighted to be part of it,"