Windsor to groundshare

Press Releasein Football

Windsor & Eton FC have agreed to a groundshare with Bedfont Green for the next two seasons, with nother year optional.

The agreement with the Combined Counties outfit is still to be ratified by the Southern League but they are not expecting any problems.

The Royalists were approached by Bedfont Green on May 16 who used the Yeading ground but they have merged with Hayes and moved to the Hayes ground.

Yeading have given notice that an option agreement has been granted which may result in the ground being sold mid season and this could result in Bedfont Green having to vacate so they are looking to move to Stag Meadow.

Windsor vice chairman, Kevin Stott, said: "We have an agreement which I think represents a win-win for both clubs.

"It is subject, as always, ratification from the Southern League but we are very encouraged by initial conversations with them.

"We were very impressed with their chairman (Doug White). He is very, very dynamic, forward thinking and you can tell that he understands the importance of partnerships and how to behave to create a good, powerful partnership.

"Together we will be able to think about ways of using our collective skills to progress with projects around the ground.

"There's lots of ways we can support one another.

"There's obviously a financial benefit to the club but I wouldn't say that is the primary driver.

"He's got quite a pedigree, used to be a director at Brentford, his experience, positive engery and ideas combined with our own will be of great benefit."

Windsor have ground shared twice before, most recently with Slough Town and are not concerned about fears the Stag Meadow surface will unduly suffer.

"We thought that through and put together a renovation programme to make sure the pitch is technically robust enough to cope with the games we predict to play on it," remarked Mr Stott.

"We spoke with the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) and our groundsman, Ian Gould - who is an international cricket umpire so knows a bit about pitches - and believe it will be fine.

"I'm confident the pitch will continue to improve, we should have a better pitch than last year and one that will be robust enough to cope with two teams playing on it."

The agreement will provide Windsor & Eton with added income of £15,000 per season together with benefits from operating the bar and tea hut.

Pitch renovation works have been completed with an irrigation system and drainage works capable of accepting a further 24 or 25 matches per season without risk of damage in the opinion of the board.

The two teams will face each other at Stag Meadow in a pre-season friendly on Tuesday, August 5.

Source:-Slough& Langley Observer

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