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Bristol Rovers ground 'should be war memorial' Bristol Rovers ground 'should be war memorial'
(35 minutes later)
An application has been submitted to list Bristol Rovers FC's existing home ground as a war memorial. An application has been submitted to list the home of Bristol Rovers as a war memorial.
Applicant Jamie Carstairs said the "significant heritage site" was "very special" and wanted English Heritage to have the "whole site listed". Applicant Jamie Carstairs said the "significant heritage site" was "very special" and he wanted English Heritage to have the "whole site listed".
It is not yet known if the move will affect the club's plans to build a new £40m stadium at Frenchay this summer. It is not yet known how the move will affect the club's plans to build a new £40m stadium at Frenchay.
To finance the new 21,700-seat stadium, the club agreed to sell its Memorial Stadium to a supermarket chain. To finance the new 21,700-seat stadium, the club agreed to sell its Memorial Stadium home to a supermarket chain.
But there has been a two-year legal battle over Sainsbury's plans to redevelop the Horfield site.But there has been a two-year legal battle over Sainsbury's plans to redevelop the Horfield site.
Nick Higgs, club chairman, said it now faced "another delay" and had to "wait" for English Heritage to issue its decision. 'Like church without altar'
"We have been advised, that whilst there is little chance of this application ultimately being successful, we still have to go through the process and submit a robust response to the application to English Heritage," he added. Nick Higgs, club chairman, said they now faced "another delay" and had to wait for English Heritage to issue its decision.
"We have been advised, that whilst there is little chance of this application ultimately being successful, we still have to go through the process and submit a robust response to the application to English Heritage," he said.
"The unfortunate result of these actions is another delay, which is very frustrating to all of us."The unfortunate result of these actions is another delay, which is very frustrating to all of us.
"But we still hope to be able to start the development of the UWE [University of the West of England] Stadium in the summer.""But we still hope to be able to start the development of the UWE [University of the West of England] Stadium in the summer."
'Reunited and preserved' In a statement, Mr Carstairs said the Memorial Ground's pitch and the Grade II-listed entrance gates "were designed to be together and were built as an entity".
In a statement, Mr Carstairs said the Memorial Ground's playing pitch and the entrance gates to the sports ground "were designed to be together and were built as an entity". "The two parts inform and complement each other," he said.
"The two parts inform and complement each other," he added.
"The gates, with their inscriptions, explain the reason for the existence of the sports ground, which in turn is the context for the gates."The gates, with their inscriptions, explain the reason for the existence of the sports ground, which in turn is the context for the gates.
"Designating the ground means that the two parts would be reunited and preserved as a whole, in a setting as originally constructed. One without the other would be like an altar without its church.""Designating the ground means that the two parts would be reunited and preserved as a whole, in a setting as originally constructed. One without the other would be like an altar without its church."
It is not yet known what Mr Carstairs' relationship to the club is. English Heritage said it was still assessing the application.
An English Heritage spokesman said they were "still in the process of assessing the application" and would give their advice to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in "due course".
The Memorial Stadium, previously called The Memorial Ground, was created as a war memorial for the 300 Bristolian rugby players who died in World War One.
After World War Two, a further dedication was inscribed on the entrance gate pier and a rededication service was held on the playing pitch in September 1945.
Since 1920, annual Remembrance Day services have been held at the ground. The entrance gates are already Grade II-listed.
Last month, the club was relegated from the Football League to the Conference for the first time in its history.