Wokingham & Emmbrook planning 2019/20 Lowther Road homecoming

Woodley United FC manager Michael Herbert. Photo: Mark Pugh.
A good crowd at Lowther Road for Wokingham & Emmbrook vs Woodley United. Photo: Mark Pugh.

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Uhlsport Hellenic League Division 1 East side Wokingham & Emmbrook have expanded on plans for the development of it’s Lowther Road ground up to step 5 and six standard.

Plans to bring the sports ground up to scratch include the addition of floodlights, a small stand and hard standing around the pitch.

The Sumas were originally granted permission to make ground improvements by Wokingham Borough Council in July 2016 but the club face a significant fundraising drive to activate Football Foundation funding.

The clubs first team are currently ground sharing with neighbours Bracknell Town, a move required by the FA to stay in the Hellenic League.

Wokingham & Emmbrook President Mark Ashwell. Photo: Mark Pugh.
Wokingham & Emmbrook President Mark Ashwell. Photo: Mark Pugh.

A statement from the Sumas says: “Following planning acceptance for ground developments at Lowther Road, required by the FA to continue to allow WEFC to play step 5/6 football, members of the Committee, lead by President Mark Ashwell, are now working together to apply for a Football Foundation grant to pay for these developments. The grant application is onerous and contains many facets and requirements which have to be completed in full to be successful. Much of this work has already been completed and it is hoped that the application can be ready for submission by November 2018 in preparation for the Foundation Panel to adjudicate in January 2019.

“If successful we are hopeful that the ground development work – floodlights, a small stand, fencing, hard standing and many other smaller FA requirements at the ground, will be completed in preparation for the 2019/2020 season so the Sumas can come home again.

“However, the Football Foundation will only grant WEFC most of the funds required for the project and the club will have to find a significant balance, probably around £30k, to activate the grant. These funds will have to be contributed through local sponsorship which the club are actively looking to find at the present time and would be very grateful of any suggestions to help us find this amount.”

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