Bristol Rovers lose High Court battle against Sainsbury's

Bristol Rovers have suffered a major blow to their plans to build a new £30 million stadium.

This morning they lost a High Court appeal to prevent Sainsbury's pulling out of a deal to buy their existing stadium.

The on-off saga has been raging since February 2014, after Sainsbury's agreed to buy the Memorial Stadium so they could build a new superstore - only to terminate the deal a few weeks later.

Bristol Rovers claimed that contracts already signed by the supermarket meant that the deal was legally binding. But today, three judges sided with Sainsbury's saying they were within their rights to terminate the deal.

The club now faces huge legal fees as well as the loss of a multi-million pound sale, which would go some way to funding the planned stadium in Stoke Gifford.

The only comfort for Bristol Rovers fans is the new billionaire owner from Jordan, who has promised the new stadium will be built.

The club has spent a fortune trying this legal manoeuvre, but today it failed according to Chief Operating Officer at the club, Toni Watola.