Sid Pepper announced as Stags director

Over the weekend, Mansfield Town officially announced that local business man Sid Pepper is now a director of Mansfield Town Football Club.

Born and raised in Mansfield, Sid started working in the steel industry at 16-years-old.

Now aged 74, he will use his expertise to lead the redevelopment of the Bishop Street Stand at One Call Stadium.

Sid said: “I’m a supporter of what the club is doing in the community – a vital role so long ignored by the authorities. “I offered my expertise in resolving the long-standing issue of the Bishop Street Stand and am very pleased to join the club’s board of directors and lead this project.” Providing a summary of the work already undertaken on the Bishop Street Stand, Sid said: “The stand, which was built in the 1930s, was firstly inspected to see if it was structurally sound, and it was. However, disappointingly, the terracing, which looks as good as new, is not up to Green Guide requirements.

“It is in overcoming this that real expense is now going to be incurred. John [Radford, the club’s owner] does not have a problem with this, but he as well as me, is disappointed that it will take time to overcome.

“The board has approved a three-phase approach, the first of which could see a proportion of the stand open for the New Year but that could be – like me - optimistic.

“Also, within the stand, will be a brand-new purpose-built toilet facility capable of servicing 800 supporters.

“Phase one includes a refurbishment of the stand as is; phase two will involve extending the Bishop Street Stand – towards the Quarry Lane End of One Call Stadium - by four bays.

“Phase three is where it becomes interesting because the intention is to build above the whole of the Bishop Street Stand a nine-metre camera area and two metres at either end, with the rest made up of ten corporate boxes – access to which will be via undercover stair towers including toilets and a lift.” The club will issue a further update on the redevelopment of the Bishop Street Stand in due course.