Brentford get set for move to Woking

Brentford are investigating ground-sharing options as far away as Woking because chairman Ron Noades will no longer bankroll the club and wants to sell Griffin Park to developers.

Woking is nearly 25 miles away by road but Brentford could move out in the summer.

Noades bought control of Brentford in 1998 after selling Crystal Palace for £22 million.

He had previously owned Wimbledon. Now he says he will no longer underwrite losses at Brentford and so he wants to sell players.

Standard Sport can reveal that he is also ready to sell the club's Griffin Park ground to developers.

Talks have already been held with Conference outfits Woking and Kingstonian about ground sharing.

Noades's long-term aim has always been to build a more profitable stadium for Brentford and there were tentative plans to invest in Feltham Arena, a site covering 35 acres close to Heathrow Airport and is about seven miles from Griffin Park.

Noades appears to have lost patience with that scheme and, after sustaining losses of £1m last year, Brentford are looking for cost-cutting measures.

Last week the Second Division club sold top scorer Andy Scott and talented midfielder Rob Quinn to Oxford for the knock-down combined fee of £150,000.

Woking vice-chairman John Buchanan said: "Brentford are looking at us and four or five other grounds. They have spoken to us and I understand they would like to vacate Griffin Park before next season."

Kingstonian also confirmed Brentford have discussed ground-sharing at their Kingsmeadow Stadium.

Noades said: "I have never made any secret of the fact that I would only fund the club for two years but the sale of Hermann Hreidarsson (to Ipswich) gave us the funding for a third year.

"We are now in a position that we have to get the club to a breakeven point as soon as we can. That doesn't mean our players will be sold wholesale but we have to introduce a wage cap and look towards having a squad of players that fits in that framework.

"We have a squad of 28 players. A club like ours needs to operate with 21 or 22."