GT27 (Winter 2001)

BARNET (Nationwide Conference)

A planning application has been placed before Barnet Council for a 9,200 capacity all seater stadium on land adjacent to Barnet’s present Underhill ground currently occupied by Barnet Cricket Club. The site was identified by the council and also has the support of the Greater London Authority. Barnet’s current Underhill ground doesn’t meet Nationwide League requirements both in terms of capacity and its sloping pitch, and the club have made contingency plans to groundshare at Leyton Orient’s Brisbane Road ground in the event of them winning promotion. Should the £12 million plan project fail to find favour with the planning authorities, Barnet have warned they will seek to move the club out of the borough. If the scheme does go-ahead, the current Underhill ground is likely to be retained for reserve and youth football.

STEVENAGE BOROUGH (Nationwide Conference)

Stevenage’s new South Stand (pictured in magazine) was opened to spectators for the first time at the end of October. Turning out to be somewhat larger than was originally announced, the 1,400-seater stand spans the whole of the goaline and boosts the seating capacity at Broadhall Way to an impressive 3,400. A digital scoreboard has been fitted to the roof, while the area beneath the stand is to be utilized for office space.

MARGATE (Nationwide Conference)

A £5 million refit could be on the cards for Margate’s Hartsdown Park ground. In addition to completely rebuilding the existing main stand, two new stands are planned, together with a hotel, pub and restaurant, and improved facilities for the reserves. The project will cost £5 million and is likely to entail a temporary groundshare, at either Dover Athletic or Gillingham, while the work is completed.

DONCASTER ROVERS (Nationwide Conference)

Rovers are hoping to proceed with plans to build a new £7 million stadium in partnership with Doncaster Dragons Rugby League Club. They have two sites in mind. The preferred location is at Lakeside a short distance from their current Belle Vue ground, with the Earth Centre Theme Park on the outskirts of town another possibility.

FORD UNITED (Ryman League)

Ford, who began the season groundsharing at Dagenham & Redbridge’s Victoria Road ground, finally played their first game at their new Barkingside base on October 23. They have taken over the lease at Oakside from the previous tenants Barkingside FC, who will remain at the ground as sub-tenants of Ford United. Ford were forced to look for a new home when it was disclosed that the year-by-year lease arrangement they had at their previous ground at Rush Green Road was not acceptable to the Ryman League. To bring Oakside up to standard Ford have had to add extra seats, extend the covered accommodation and improve the floodlights. The excellent facilities at Rush Green Road have not been lost to football however as West Ham United have started to play some of their academy matches at the venue.

HEDNESFORD TOWN (Dr Martens League)

Despite suffering relegation from the Nationwide Conference last season, Town have continued to carry out improvements to their Keys Park ground. A roof has been erected over the terracing opposite the main stand (see picture in magazine), which means their impressive ground now has cover on all four sides.

WORCESTER CITY (Dr Martens League)

The fate of City’s proposed new stadium at Nunnery Wood hangs in the balance. They are waiting on the local council to give permission for DIY giants B&Q to build a store on the site. B&Q have pledged to meet some of the costs of the 7,000 capacity stadium and provide the infrastructure.

CURZON ASHTON (North West Counties League)

Curzon have submitted plans for a 4,000 capacity stadium at Richmond Park on land next to the existing running track. The stadium will be part-financed by the sale of their National Park ground. Cross-town rivals, Ashton United, who had earlier expressed an interest in the project, pulled out when it was revealed that the size of the stadium had been scaled down from Nationwide Conference standard to one that meets Unibond League requirements.

ENFIELD (Ryman League)

Enfield chairman Tony Lazarou has responded to the formation of a rival Enfield team, Enfield Town, by stepping up his efforts to bring the Es back to Enfield. While Essex Senior League new boys Town have been regularly drawing crowds of 300 plus at their borrowed Brimsdown Rovers ground, sub three figures attendances consisting mainly of away fans, have been the norm at their temporary Borehamwood base. Chairman Lazarou has identified the Queen Elizabeth II Stadium, an athletics track with a sizeable grandstand, close to the site of their former Southbury Road home, as a possible contender for a new ground. Ironically, the athletics stadium is also being eyed up by Enfield Town, who have struck up a good relationship with Enfield Harriers AC, the current tenants, who are said to be keen to take Town on board as co-tenants.

CHESHUNT (Ryman League)

The seating capacity at Theobalds Lane has been boosted following the installation of 103 seats salvaged from Enfield’s former Southbury Road home. The seats have been fitted into the covered terrace opposite the main stand. The seats are in fact, third-hand, having originally seen service at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge ground, where they occupied the upper tier of the East Stand.

NORTHWICH VICTORIA (Nationwide Conference)]

Discussions between supporters of Northwich and their near neighbours Witton Albion have revealed a majority in favour of a merger between the two clubs. Northwich are currently in the process of selling their historic Drill Field ground and moving to a new stadium at Wincham, ironically on land 200 yards from the ground of

Witton Albion. Rather than have two competing stadiums next door to each other, it has been suggested that for the good of football in Northwich it would be better to pool the resources of the two clubs. It should be stressed however that Witton Albion’s shareholders were not party to the discussions, and it is their decision on the possibility of a merger that will be crucial.

BOOTLE (North West Counties League)

Bootle have been told by the NWCL that they will have to leave their temporary home at Kirkby Sports Stadium by the end of next season. The club are keeping their cards close to their chest, but they apparently have three site options for a new ground and expect to ‘start the ball rolling’ soon.

ROSSENDALE UNITED (North West Counties League)

The Football Trust has agreed, in principle, to provide 65% of the funding for a new Junior Football Academy at Dark Lane. The £750,000 scheme includes a 30,000 square metre indoor football centre, and a 500-seater full-length stand, complete with physio room, lecture theatre, and a sports café bar.

WOODLEY SPORTS (North West Counties League)

The ambitious Stockport based side are to build a 186-seater stand at their Lambeth Grove grounds, the funds for which are to be provided by the Football Foundation.

TOOTING & MITCHAM UNITED (Ryman League)

Work has begun on Tooting’s new stadium at Bishopsford Road, with completion scheduled for early 2002. It is likely however that the club will remain at their current Sandy Lane ground for the rest of the season, giving those that have not done so already a few more months to visit the last big scale non-league ground left in London.

FORMBY (North West Counties League)

Preparatory work has begun at Formby’s new ground at Altcar Road, with a completion date set for the start of the 2002-2003 season. Formby’s current Brow’s Lane ground, much coveted because of its town centre location, is to make way for a swimming pool and leisure centre. The new stadium, situated behind a Tesco superstore on the Formby by-pass, will have a stand, floodlights and a clubhouse. The saddest casualty of the move will be the wonderful wooden grandstand at Brow’s Lane, which is almost as old as the ground itself, which came into being in 1920.

HANDSAKER (Midland Combination)

The discovery of a natural spring in the middle of the pitch had delayed work on Handsaker’s proposed new ground at Tyburn Recreation Ground, Birmingham. The problem is likely to cost several thousands pounds to rectify and means that the ground will not be ready for at least 12 months.

MURTON (Northern League)

Murton have returned to their Church Lane ground after being forced to seek refuge at first Peterlee and then Kennek Ryhope when an underground culvert collapsed, creating a gaping hole in their pitch. Repair work costing a total of £85,000 has been carried out, the funds for which have been provided by the Football Stadia Improvement Fund. Further help has come from Murton Parish Council who have paid £37,000 for the pitch to be returfed.

WYRLEY RANGERS (West Midlands League)

Rangers have laid two pitches on land converted from a derelict open cast-mining site. They have also built a clubhouse and laid cables for floodlights.

CHELMSFORD CITY (Dr Martens League)

City’s hopes of building a new stadium at Boreham, which were boosted in the summer when Chelmsford Borough Council granted the project outline planning consent, have suffered a severe set-back. The Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government & the Regions has expressed a desire to scrutinise the plans more closely, the likely result of which will be a costly public enquiry, a process that could take anything up to two years to complete.

Since the publication of our guide to the 41 grounds currently in use within the United Counties League (for ordering details see elsewhere in the magazine) three Division One clubs have embarked on schemes to upgrades their grounds. HIGHAM TOWN are lodging at former UCL club Finedon’s ground while a new dressing room block at Vine Hill Drive is completed. Located just off the A6, three miles from Higham Ferrers, the ground at Finedon features a clubhouse with a built-in area of covered accommodation. WOODFORD UNITED have received planning permission to build a seated stand and floodlights as they strive to bring their Byfield Road ground up to Premier Division standard. Also with their eye on a spot in the Premier Division are Grantham based club HARROWBY UNITED, who recently played their first match under the newly installed floodlights.

HYDE UNITED (Unibond League)

The regeneration of Hyde’s Ewen Fields ground continues apace with news that funding has been received to erect a covered shelter at the Walker Lane end. When completed, Ewen Fields will have cover on all four sides.

BRAINTREE TOWN (Ryman League)

Preparations to upgrade Cressing Road to Nationwide Conference standard have begun. The Cressing Road Stand, opposite the main stand, is being lengthened to approximately 200 ft long, with a new concrete base with 300 mm steps being laid within it. The initial plan is to install 440 seats by early next year, with room being left for a further 100 seats if and when required. When completed Cressing Road will have seated stands on both sides of the ground for the first time since 1946.