A task force is now being assembled by the Workington Reds to help shape any future stadium on the site.

The project team, recruited primarily from among the club’s supporters, will also deal with day-to-day problems at Borough Park.

The group will be made up of a team of five or six members reporting directly to the board of directors.

The move comes several months after Allerdale council’s executive voted to look into a scaled-back version of the ambitious scheme developed by the former Labour-led administration.

Ultimately, it is still hoped that a new stadium to be shared by Workington Reds and Workington Town will be built on the present site of Borough Park.

The team will be led by stadium director Les Byers who has 40 years of architectural and engineering experience and was involved in developing several options for the ground in 2017 before the plans were shelved.

He said: “After the previous new stadium design was ruled out last summer, the local authority agreed to look at a scaled-back version.

“Our new stadium team therefore has a fresh opportunity to invest more time and effort, via early engagement and collaboration with all interested parties, to achieve the best possible solution for the club.

“This is an extremely positive move by the club. A fit-for-purpose stadium solution must be the ultimate consideration for the local authority, both clubs and the wider community.’

Mr Byers is one of the club’s representatives on Allerdale Borough Council’s Sports Village Project Board, which also includes members from Workington Town.

He previously worked up a plan B has emerged ahead of a crunch decision on the multi-stadium scheme for Workington, submitting it to the council in June.

Mr Byers’ plans to redevelop Borough Park were part of a mothballed scheme from 2017 but were revived and put to the executive for consideration, though decision has been taken on whether to press ahead with them.

A long-standing Workington Reds fan, he previously proposed that all the deteriorating structures at Borough Park were demolished, leaving only the concrete terracing intact.

Under his earlier plans, the old grandstand on the west side of the ground would be completely replaced with a new 700-seater stand, incorporating new changing rooms, bars and corporate facilities.

He had also suggested that the popular side stand, with its 800 seats, would also be replaced and both the Derwent and Town ends would be roofed over with a steel frame and steel panels, matching the new grandstand.

The venue mooted last summer would be able to accommodate a 6,000-capacity crowd and would cost less than £15m.

Mr Byers is from Workington and has worked primarily in local government, as well as in nuclear and defence projects across country.

While attached to Sellafield architects office, he worked as part of the team involved with the Copeland Sports Stadium in Whitehaven.