Plans to potentially unite two of the county’s biggest sports clubs in one stadium have taken a major step forward.

It was revealed earlier this year that Workington Town and Workington Reds had approached Allerdale Council to explore the possibility of building a shared ground.

And this week Workington Town have confirmed that an analysis of potential sites is currently being concluded.

A specialist stadium architect is set to be appointed in the near future with a view to initial designs for the ground being drawn up later this summer.

A board has been appointed to oversee the project and representatives have visited shared football and rugby stadiums to analyse lessons learned and commercial operating models used.

Potential issues associated with a shared playing surface have also been investigated through discussions with global leaders in the sector.

Malcolm Allison, speaking on behalf of Workington Town’s board of directors, said: “While no formal commitments have been made at this moment in time, the three parties involved are committed to exploring all the options to bring about a new stadium.

“There is much more work to be done, including really exploring the commercial model

“It’s likely to be later in the year before any firm proposition can be fully considered, but we are working with the other two partners to understand the viability of any proposal as quickly as possible.”

Up to seven potential sites in the area have been identified but there’s still an open mind on which would be best for the two clubs.

Meanwhile, the Reds board called for patience from supporters in light of the news.

They and the council had agreed the statement published by Town, although neither had made any comment.

A statement from Reds said: “As explained in the statement there are a lot of complexities that need to be resolved with a project of this type so we hope that fans of both Town and Reds will be patient and allow the due processes to take their course.”

Reds fans in particular have been anxious at the lack of news as the football club’s lease is shorter than Town’s and there have been concerns for some time now about what will happen when the lease runs out in seven years.

In discussions on a shared stadium between Reds and Town there has been no mention of Workington Comets speedway club, who currently rent Derwent Park for home fixtures.

Allerdale leader Alan Smith revealed the bid to explore the possibility of a new joint stadium at the council’s civic dinner in March.