GT24 (Spring 2001)

RACING CLUB WARWICK (Dr Martens League)

Racing could be leaving their Townsend Meadow ground for a new site half a mile away. Warwick Council, who own the Warwick racecourse within which the football pitch is situated, are considering a plan to sell the current stables and adjoining car park for housing. Under the scheme, Townsend Meadow would make way for new stables and a replacement car park, with the football club relocating to another part of the racecourse.

MAIDSTONE UNITED (Kent County League)

The former Football League club have moved a step closer to securing a new ground after submitting plans for a Dr Martens League standard stadium on MOD owned land close to the River Medway. It is hoped that the new ground will include covered terracing for 1,000 spectators, 30m of uncovered terracing behind each goal, 325 seats with an option to extend to 500, three turnstile entrances, two tea bars, social club and players’ lounge, club shop, adequate car and coach parking, and four corner tower floodlights.

HARWICH & PARKESTON (Jewson League)

Proposals to move to a new ground on the outskirts of town have fallen through. The historic Royal Oak Ground, home to the East Essex side since 1898, will celebrate its reprieve by receiving a facelift.

DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE (Nationwide Conference)

Their coffers swollen by their successful run in the FA Cup, the East London outfit plan to bring their Victoria Road ground up to Football League standard by building a new £450,000 main stand.

WOODFORD TOWN (Essex Senior League)

Discussions are to take place with Redbridge Council regarding the future of Snakes Lane, the ground from which the East London team were evicted in 1993. Since a fire in 1996, which destroyed the main stand and clubhouse, the ground has lain derelict, during which time Woodford have been groundsharing at Leyton, East Ham, Greenwich Borough, and most recently, Clapton. The council, who own the Snakes Lane ground, are said to be keen to build houses on the site and have offered the club an alternative site at Roding Lane.

SAFFRON WALDEN TOWN (Essex Senior League)

3000 tonnes of earth have been moved at Catons Lane in order to level out the vertigo-inducing slope that has bamboozled unwary opponents since the ground first came into use 111 years ago. New pathways and perimeter barriers have also been installed as The Bloods strive to regain the place in the Ryman League they lost in 1996.

HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE (Dr Martens League)

Following the award of a £150,000 grant from the Football Foundation, work is due to take place to upgrade Westleigh Park to Nationwide Conference standard. Included in the plans, said to cost £450,000 in total, are a 500 seater stand, and extra terracing behind both goals.

FOREST GREEN ROVERS (Nationwide Conference)

The Nailsworth based side have been granted planning permission to build a new 1,200 seater main stand at The Lawn. The stand is scheduled for completion by the end of the current season.

MARGATE (Dr Martens League)

Though it is still their long-term intention to move to a new stadium, the east Kent club have taken measures to ensure their present Hartsdown Park ground is brought up to Nationwide Conference standard. 500 new seats are to be installed in their main stand and new terracing is to be constructed on the swimming pool side of the ground.

FORMBY (North West Counties League)

The Squirrels look set to leave their delightfully old fashioned Brows Lane ground (pictured below) and relocate to a new 7 acre site situated behind theTesco Supermarket in Altcar Road. The Lancashire club’s home for the past 81 years, Brows Lane features one of the last surviving examples of a pre-war wooden stand, which, unusually, is positioned behind one goal. It is hoped that the new stadium will be ready for use by the start of the 2002/2003 season.

NORTHWICH VICTORIA (Nationwide Conference)

Having arranged to sell their 126-year-old Drill Field ground for redevelopment, plans have been submitted for a new 6,600 capacity stadium at Wincham, due for completion by the start of the 2002/2003 season. It is hoped that the huge Dane Bank Stand will eventually make the journey with them

which will boost the capacity at the new ground by a further 2,000. Instead of an expensive groundsharing arrangement with one of their neighbours, the Vics are hoping to remain at the Drill Field until the new stadium is up and running.

SHEFFIELD FC (Northern Counties East League)

The world’s oldest club’s first permanent home at the Coach & Horses, Dronfield will soon be ready for use. Previously used by former Northern Counties East side Dronfield United, Sheffield have spent the season modernising the spartan facilities that were in situ when they took over the lease. A 100-seater stand has been built at one end, while the already existing covered terracing on the public house side of the ground has been upgraded.

KINGSTONIAN (Nationwide Conference)

The Ks have launched a major redevelopment programme designed to bring Kingsmeadow Stadium up to Football League standard. Work has already been completed on expanding the grandstand, where 3 extra rows of seating have been added, increasing the seated capacity to 1,225. The notorious shallow terraces, which have blighted viewing since the ground’s opening in 1989, should also be a thing of the past before long. The away end terrace has already been demolished in readiness for a new steeper version complete with crash barriers, while plans are in hand to re-profile the terracing on the other two sides of the ground.

BURTON ALBION (Dr Martens League)

Having already increased the seating capacity at Eton Park to 400, the Nationwide Conference hopefuls have responded to a Conference edict increasing the minimum seating capacity to 500, by planning a further extension, which will bring the total of seats at the ground up to 640

MURTON (Northern League)

The Durham side were featured in a recent edition of the BBC series Dream Lives. Unable to use their Murton Park ground due to the sudden appearance of a deep hole in the pitch, attempts were made by the programme makers to find a remedy for the situation. Unfortunately, the problem, which had been caused by a collapsed pipe, proved to be beyond their ingenuity. With repair work expected to cost £100,000, it is hoped that a forthcoming application to the Football Foundation will prove successful. In the meantime Murton are now groundsharing at Kennek Ryhope after spending the first part of the season at Peterlee.

CHELMSFORD CITY (Dr Martens League)

After a crisis meeting with the local council, City have been reassured that the council will do everything it can to help them secure a site for a new ground. To this end, they have been invited to re-submit the planning application for a stadium at Boreham, which they withdrew in December of last year.

NISSAN (Wearside League)

Hoping for promotion to the Northern League, Washington based Nissan have started work on a £40,000 150-seater stand and cover for a further 200 at their Sports Complex ground.

HYDE UNITED (Unibond League)

The seating capacity at Ewan Fields has been increased to 530 following the opening of a £150,000 extension

to the main stand. With funding to the tune of £60,000 still in hand, plans are afoot for the Walkers Lane end to be covered, and possibly extended, and the Tinkers Passage end to be realigned which would increase the capacity, currently 4,000, by a further 1,000.

ACCRINGTON STANLEY (Unibond League)

Work on extending the main stand at the Crown Ground continues. The small covered enclosure to the right of the main entrance has been dwarfed by the steel structure for the new stand, which will replace it. The whole of this side, when complete, will feature a stand holding around 1,000 seats, which take the ground up to Nationwide Conference standard.

BISHOP AUCKLAND (Unibond League)

The football ground portion of Kingsway has been put for sale for a minimum of £300,000. Agreement has been reached with the ground owners, the Church Commissoners, and the co-tenants, Bishop Auckland Cricket Club, to sell the land presently occupied by the grandstand and the adjoining terracing. The proceeds will be shared amongst all three concerns, with the Bishops’ slice going towards a lottery bid for the proposed new stadium at Tindale Crescent. It is likely to be at least 18 months before any move is made, making Kingsway safe for next season, and probably part of the following season.

DEAL TOWN (Kent League)

Left with a shell of a ground following the resignation of former chairman and main benefactor Roy Smith, the beleaguered East Kent side have announced plans to bring the Charles Sports Ground back up to Kent League standard. Under the previous regime the pitch had been repositioned to make space for a proposed leisure complex, necessitating the demolition of the covered terrace, and creating a twenty-yard space between the famous old wooden stand and the pitch. With the leisure complex now off the agenda following Dover District Council’s decision not to sanction the project, Deal are to begin the process of rebuilding the ground. A £30,000 stand seating 180-240 is due to be built at the Charles Road end, which in turn will see the demise of the terracing at that end. Also due for demolition is the wonderful, wedge shaped grandstand that has served the club so well over the years.

WESTFIELDS (West Midlands League)

With the loss of their present Rotherwas ground imminent, Westfields have signed a 30-year lease to play at Hereford Sixth Form College’s Widemarsh Common ground at Moorhouse. The agreement follows a reversal of an earlier decision by Herefordshire County Council’s planning department not to allow floodlights at the site.

MEIR K A (Midland Combination)

Looking for promotion to the Midland Alliance and beyond, the ambitious Staffordshire side have embarked on a £40,000 improvement programme at their Hilderstone Road ground. A second stand is to be built following the refurbishment of the existing stand, while plans are also in hand for a new clubhouse and a new concrete perimeter fence.

LUDLOW TOWN (West Midlands League)

A ten-acre green belt site at Bloomfield Road has been identified as the possible location for a new £1 million ground. Hoping to sell their present Riddings Park base for a seven-figure sum, the Shropshire club are looking to tie in their planning application with a proposed science and technology college at the adjacent Ludlow Church of England School.

LEAMINGTON (Midland Combination)

After a very successful first season back in Pyramid Football, Leamington will make further improvements to their New Windmill Ground with a new covered terrace for 400 and enhanced pitch drainage.

SUTTON COLDFIELD TOWN (Dr Martens Western Division)

The Club intend to replace the 1957-vintage elevated grandstand at Coles Lane. The stand is likely to rebuilt to similar dimensions as the current stand as planning rules allow replacement buildings as long as they are no bigger than the original. Additional facilities will be added under the stand. No dates have yet been fixed.