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10th tier club, in playoff place, sadly have to take voluntary relegation

10th tier club Canterbury City in a playoff place, sadly have to take voluntary relegation after not being able to find a suitable ground.

They have voluntarily relegated from the Southern Counties East Football League Division One (Step 6 of non league) to the Kent County League Premier Division (Step 7 of non league) due to the lack of a suitable home ground, despite being in a promotion play-off position.

The club will base itself at The Neighbourhood Resource Centre in Thanington, Canterbury, for the next season, pending improvement works to the changing rooms. CCFC will complete its current league fixtures but cannot be promoted or participate in play-offs.

The club unsuccessfully sought partnerships and ground-shares with various local entities, including the University of Kent, nearby football clubs, and Canterbury City Council. Long-term hopes rest on a proposed sports-hub development by Quinn Estates.

The club’s success on the field has outpaced its infrastructure, leading to unsustainable ground-sharing arrangements, such as the current one in Margate, 20 miles from Canterbury, which has failed to attract spectators and local sponsorship.

The return to Canterbury is “bitter-sweet,” involving a loss of status and likely changes in personnel, but the club aims to regenerate its fortunes, foster community spirit, and rebuild with local players, supporters, and volunteers.

CANTERBURY CITY STATEMENT:

“Our battle to retain our F.A. National League Step 6 level status is over.

“Despite being in a promotion play-off position, the Club has sought voluntary relegation from the Southern Counties East Football League Division One, as we no longer have a suitable ground to play on.

“The Club has applied to the Kent County League Premier Division (Step 7 level of the F.A. National League System) basing ourselves at The Neighbourhood Resource Centre, Thanington, Canterbury, for next season – this is subject to improvement works to the changing rooms being undertaken by Canterbury City Council in time for the new season start.

“The club will complete its league fixtures this season, but we will not be permitted to be promoted if we finish first, nor participate in the play-off games if we finish in second to fifth promotion places.

“But we will still aspire to finish in the highest league position possible, as if this nightmare was not happening.

“The Club could not convince the University of Kent at Canterbury to form a partnership and develop the facilities (at our cost) for the benefit of students, the community and CCFC in an exciting future.

“Nor could we gain ground-shares at the nearby football clubs at Herne Bay (over-subscribed) Faversham (wanting an exorbitant fee) and Whitstable (unfortunately out bid by Faversham Strike Force, at the last minute).

“In the months leading up to this SCEFL resignation, there were many site visits and discussions with the Canterbury City Council, both major Universities, Polo Farm, local schools, colleges and academies, even Kent County Cricket Club!

“The “holy grail” for the Club has always been to ‘bring the City back home.”

“Additionally, we engaged with the Canterbury MP, Rosie Duffield, and officials of Canterbury City Council and Kent County Council. While everyone is sympathetic to our plight, there were no practical proposals put forward for resolving the situation.

“There is still a long-term hope that planning permission will be granted for the sports-hub to be built as part of the Merton Park housing development by Quinn Estates, which forms part of the current 2040 Canterbury City Council Draft Plan.

“Introspectively, one can reason that the Club’s position has always been a difficult one, since team success on the field, soon outstripped our infrastructure off of it, hence having to use ground-sharing with more established Clubs who had the facilities that were needed (floodlights, stands etc) which allowed the Club to compete at higher levels.

“The superb FA Vase run in 2019 reaching the semi-finals and being one step away from Wembley, was an opportunity lost to build on people’s interest and perhaps secure the Club’s finances.

“In my short involvement with the Club, it is clear that we cannot continue drifting around Kent.

“It is not financially sustainable. Our current location at Margate, sadly shows that we have little spectator appetite to support a Canterbury City team that plays Home games 20 miles away – despite the fact that for three months we have been a successful team and top of the Division!

“Equally it has been hard to gain sponsorship from Canterbury businesses when their market is more local – and I am grateful to the few philanthropic companies who have helped us and have bucked that trend.

“It will be a “bitter-sweet” return of the Club to Canterbury, as we will have gained our heartland but at the cost of our status.

“We also anticipate that the step down in league status will inevitably mean a significant change in playing and coaching personnel.

“Therefore being competitive in the Kent County League will initially he a challenge and it might be a longer road back to achieve our former status.

“We now hope that this change will spearhead the regeneration of the Club’s fortunes and develop a community spirit once more, with local players and supporters.

“We hope to link with other teams in the community, because we recognise that local kids need to aspire to something and the return of the semi-professional Club to the city helps to offer that chance to them.

“In this new scenario, the Club will need volunteers for all sorts of jobs, both on a regular and occasional basis, ranging from Meet & Greet, or running the refreshment bar, to Kit Manager or Assistant Club Secretary; all skills and ages are welcome, as we want to rebuild the Club with willing partners.”

Trevor James Chairman & Treasurer

Twitter users reacted as the 10th tier club, who sit in a playoff place, sadly have to take voluntary relegation…

@Non_League_Talk: A real shame. Hope to see you back in step 6 within the near future.

@RussWWFC: Sad, but this could be the making of you. Being back in Canterbury raises awareness. I’ll be visiting for sure next season, a big city to visit and a club with a story to tell for my blog. Great day out. The @KCFL1516 is a great league too.

@Sewn_apart: Such a shame that the university weren’t a bit more proactive on things though, you’d think there’d be huge mutual benefit of such a partnership

@cvhdavidblues: My one gripe with the NLP’s groundhopper column is the antipathy towards ground sharing. As grading gets tighter this is the reality. There are not enough grounds to the required standard in some parts of the country. Quite the mess really.

@JamesBarnes93: Gutted for the team and the fans.

@HPFChistory: Good luck for the future. Our club left senior football several years ago but is now back in it and much stronger than before. Hope the same thing happens with CCFC – being at the heart of the community will surely help.

@Spinkleton2: Maybe time to relocate to a town and change name. There must be someplace on the map that would love to put there name to a football team with ambitions. Good luck

@Harry_Cambridge: Very sad news.

@AdrianVanAalst: Absolutely disgusting that a CITY with a population of 157,000 people haven’t got a football club. Canterbury council should hang their heads in shame.

@MatKeyte: What a sad end to what was once a very promising club!

@eiffel_71: @CanterburyCity Best wishes to everyone at the club for the new era. Wonderful to see you remaining in existence and back in the city.

@NeilHar59493434: So sad that you have been treated so badly by Canterbury Council and all the broken promises. Best wishes for the future. From a Chatham Town supporter

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