With much speculation surrounding the GFA’s recently announced proposed UEFA Category 4 stadium for Gibraltar, the Association has said that the controversial proposal, which places the stadium at Europa Point, is merely a ‘concept proposal, which in most cases is no more than an outline of a footprint on a suggested plot of land’.

The project, which went out to public consultation ahead of April’s meeting of the Development and Planning Commission, is ‘at an embryonic stage, to be developed, should the principle of building in the area for such a purpose be approved’. An online petition asking the GFA to reconsider the plot of land on which to build the 8000 seat stadium has received 1086 signatures.

The GFA insists that they are aware that this is a significant project for the community, and therefore has embarked upon an ‘unprecedented public consultation exercise, going well beyond the statutory requirements.’

They welcome the public’s ‘considerable discussion’ on the matter and claim to be conscious of the fact that ‘there is limited space in [Gibraltar]’. They have considered a number of other locations and discussed the matter with a host of parties including UEFA, the Gibraltar Government and the Stadium’s architect.

The association adds, ‘we want Gibraltar as a whole to feel proud of what will be their National Stadium and we will take into account, to the greatest extent possible and reasonable, the concerns that have been expressed. We will be explaining our thinking further in GBC’s Viewpoint programme of tomorrow evening.’