THE CHAIRMAN of Ledbury’s newly-formed football club has expressed his delight after they managed to secure a home where they will be able to ply their trade for the rest of the season.
Paul Mann was speaking after Ledbury Town Football Club 2015 were handed their New Street ground back until the end of the current campaign.
The cash-strapped club were forced to withdraw their first team from the West Midlands Regional League Division One in October and have not played a game at New Street since January 24, threatening to put an end to their 122-year stay there.
But after a series of games at the neighbouring cricket and rugby clubs, Ledbury Property Solutions, which owns the ground, has granted Ledbury permission to finish the season at their former home.
Mr Mann, who admitted at one stage the club thought about playing all their games away from home, told The Observer: “We spent the last few months bouncing about between various pitches which we have loaned but we have no home so Ledbury Property Solutions said to us ‘okay use the pitch until the end of the season’.
“We are all passionate about football, we haven’t gone away and we have forced our hand a little bit.
“It is purely a goodwill gesture saying as long as we take care of it yes we can use it until the end of the season.”
The club is set for discussions with its landlords within the month as to plans for a home for next season, but Mr Mann admitted the best way forward would be a new ground for the team.
“New Street is fairly run down and past its sell-by date and although there is a lot of romantic stuff attached to it and people have said we have to keep football at New Street forever, what we really need is a 20-acre piece of land where we can build a nice dressing room and ground.
“I am not a developer, I am not a builder, I am a football man.
“In terms of football we are intent on making sure senior football continues and we would like to build a relationship with the junior club and ultimately a 20-acre site incorporating senior and junior football is the way forward.”
A ‘three-year plan’ looks set to be implemented when the club finds a permanent home which would see the return of a first team into the West Midlands league, along with the establishment of the current Ledbury Colts and Ledbury Reserves.
