JOHN Coventry believes East Thurrock United are edging closer to moving into a new stadium.

Rocks are looking to move away from the Rookery Hill home but remain in the Corringham area.

And East Thurrock boss Coventry thinks a change in scenery could be of great benefit to the club.

Coventry said: “A potential new ground would be good for us.

“I’m thinking that a new ground would mean a new start and, from what I’m gathering, it will be a massively new start and a big change.

“We won’t simply be picking the stand up, walking across the road and putting it somewhere else.

“There will be a big change, which is our only hope of putting this football club out there to the general public and hoping they get involved.

“I know we’re going to change things about the football club to make it more appealing to people to come and get involved, but the new ground will include the Stanford-le-Hope and Corringham people.”

East Thurrock’s average attendance as their three-year spell in the National League South came to an end with relegation was just 320.

And Coventry hopes a new home will bring more supporters through the turnstiles.

“The local area had never seen a football club at that level and they were fortunate to have three years in the National League South,” added the Rocks’ chief.

“The support did increase, like you thought and hoped it would, when we first got promoted.

“It made life a bit easier financially. We did quite well in the first season and finished mid-table, which was brilliant for a club like us.

“The second season was more difficult, particularly at the end of the season where we lost six games consecutively.

“This season has been a struggle from start to finish.

“We’re very good at attracting big crowds for big games, but we’re not very good at attracting average crowds on a regular basis.

“The big crowds are great and give you an influx of money, but you need that consistency of finances coming in.

“Only 210 people came to the game against Weston-super-Mare last month. The only thing I can say is that’s disappointing.

“We followed that up with a 50 year anniversary game which was brilliant and there was a party atmosphere with 500 people turning up.

“I’d just like another 100 of that 500 to turn up regularly.

“It doesn’t matter what we do here because it’s very difficult to capture the imagination of the local community.

“I don’t know the answer as to how to attract more people through the gate but I think that plays into my thinking that a potential new ground would be good.”