Video footage has emerged of what Aylesbury United’s abandoned and derelict stadium has now succumbed to.
Buckingham Road, which was the former home of the Ducks until 2006, was recently visited by renowned Non League journalist and radio presenter, Ollie Bayliss.
Bayliss, who is from the area, uploaded the video onto social media which shows the ground containing broken seats, graffiti-sprayed walls, and debris scattered along the concourses.
@AylesburyUtdFC @Ollie_Bayliss Aylesbury United's Buckingham Road ground this morning. pic.twitter.com/FZpLC340MA
— gary dilleyston (@gazpd) January 17, 2023
READ MORE: Aylesbury United COULD get new stadium after plans are put forward
Overgrown shrubbery can also be seen in the footage, along with numerous damaged walls and fence panels.
Following the club’s lease expiration in 2006, Aylesbury United have ground shared in Chesham, Leighton Buzzard, Thame, and back to Chesham.
The stadium was purchased by GPS Estates Limited, a private company based in Bedfordshire, and in October 2020, property developers D L P Planning Ltd stated their intention to demolish the once frequently visited ground to transform it into a ‘residential neighbourhood’.
However, hundreds of objections were made by members of the public and council officials, after concerns over the potential ‘riverside greenspace’ feature were raised.
The owners were given permission to demolish it, I’m surprised it hasn’t been to be honest 🙁
— Ollie Bayliss (@Ollie_Bayliss) January 17, 2023
READ MORE: Local football club respond to speculation over future of ground
This was due to the stadium's floodplain location, as it's only a short distance away from the village of Watermead.
But as of January 2022, there are currently no immediate plans to destroy the Buckingham Road venue.
Abandoned Places - Aylesbury United (Buckingham Road) This stadium was barely 20 years old when the lease expired. It has lain derelict every since, hopes the club could buy it back ended in late 2019 when it was sold to property developers at auction (photos March 2015) pic.twitter.com/cn2e0vB0lP
— Peter Miles (@PeterRMiles) July 29, 2020
The ongoing stadium saga has caused numerous issues for the club, but in August 2022, plans to bring the Ducks back to the town were made, after a stadium proposal was put forward by Aylesbury Town Council to the Ernest Cook Trust and HS2.
If successful, a new venue could be built within the next few years and it will boast not only a football stadium, but also an indoor sports hall, and education centre.
The project has been supported by one of the town’s most recognizable sportspeople, Emmerson Boyce.
Such a waste, whenever I drive past it there’s more than a tinge of sadness. A well supported team back in the day, they used to do loads in the community too (remember a couple of players turning up to coach our school team once). Aylesbury deserves a proper football home
— Simon Watts (@Si_Watts) January 18, 2023
READ MORE: WATCH: Sheffield Wednesday players mobbed by fans at High Wycombe Train Station
Boyce, who is from Aylesbury and played in the Premier League for Crystal Palace and Wigan Athletic respectively, said: “We are all aware of the power of sport and how much it can make an immense difference and positive impact on the community.
What a waste of a great ground. Disgraceful 😡
— Nigel Clowe (@NigelClowe) January 17, 2023
"Being a Trustee of Wigan Community Trust and running my own foundation, I know first-hand that a new sporting facility could see a safe and friendly environment for young sportspeople to learn, develop and master their own skills.”
Aylesbury United currently play in the Division One Central of the Southern League.
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