National League club look at potential groundshare for 2021/22 season

A certain National League club is on the look out at a potential groundshare for the upcoming 2021/22 season should they get promoted.

Sutton United are currently flying high in the top tier of non league football, and are eyeing promotion to League Two for the first time in their history.

They are the National League leaders, taking an impressive 53 points from 25 games played, four points ahead of 2nd place Hartlepool who have played 28 and five points ahead of 3rd place Torquay who have played 26 matches – so the U’s really could be storming the league should they win all their games in hand.

SUTTON UNITED BOARD STATEMENT:

You will doubtless have read all about the recent discussions that have taken place between the National League, the DCMS and Sport England regarding how the rest of this season will play out and the associated financial implications. Government confirmed that it had never indicated that financial support post-Christmas would be in the form of grants, but that loans would be available to ensure clubs could carry on and avoid the worst of the financial implications.

A sub-committee of directors put a lot of work into compiling our application to Sport England and we are pleased to say that we were approved in principle. However the Ts & Cs that accompany the offer are, by necessity, quite complicated and there is still some work to be done to assess the implications of any loan in relation to normal club operations, our broader community programmes and the club’s long term business plan.

No such complications have affected Matt and Jason and the players recently though, with a tremendous run of form taking us to the top of the National League table. This, of course, also carries a number of implications surrounding the possibility of promotion to the Football League and we are also working hard off the field to address these, many of which we have previously experienced following a strong season in 2017/18.

We are pleased to confirm that our application to EFL has been accepted. Should we be fortunate enough to still be challenging for promotion as the season progresses, we have a schedule of works to undertake, tasks which we are addressing right now with several projects already fully planned out, ready to be implemented if our current on-field performance continues to the season’s end.

We all know that the EFL does not permit 3G surfaces, so we have been getting plans and quotes for a return to grass should it be necessary. Even modern hybrid grass surfaces cannot take the hours of usage that a 3G will sustain, so an important question for us to solve is where our many community teams would be able to play and train. We are exploring a number of options, including trying to identify alternative sites for a new 3G facility. 

The ideal location would obviously be Collingwood Recreation Ground but the issues are sufficiently complex that we need to explore other options also.  With this season ending later than normal there is unlikely to be enough time to lay and bed in a new grass surface before the start of the 2021/22 season so, if we do win promotion, we might need to consider a ground-share arrangement for the first few home games, a contingency for which we are already making provisional plans.

We have appointed a planning consultant to look at a number of matters including additional seating, upgraded turnstiles, improved floodlighting and the return to grass. Even these headline items bring a number of further implications that have to be addressed. Everybody is working hard to ensure that we have all eventualities covered no matter how the next few months turn out. Rest assured, whatever the outcome, we will be ready!

The gradual lifting of the covid restrictions means that we hope to begin a phased re-opening of our facilities over the next few months, perhaps with the return of the famed bottle-bar on Friday evenings. Even this will require a lot of “unseen” work, with various health and safety inspections and checks to be completed.

Finally, the FA Youth Cup has recommenced and our lads face an exciting, if slightly daunting, trip to Liverpool on Tuesday. We all wish Marvin and the boys the very best of luck and hope they have an unforgettable experience.

We cannot wait for the day we can all be back together in the stadium watching our wonderful team – in the meantime please continue your fabulous support which is so appreciated by all the players and management team.

Stay Safe and please follow the Government’s rules and guidelines on social distancing.

– STATEMENT ENDS –

EFL STADIUMS NEAREST TO SUTTON:

Plough Lane
AFC Wimbledon (League One – step 3)
Capacity: 9,300
Miles from Sutton: 5

Brentford Community Stadium
Brentford (Championship – step 2)
Capacity – 17,500
Miles form Sutton: 9

Loftus Road
Queens Park Rangers ( Championship – step 2)
Capacity – 18,439
Miles from Sutton: 10

The Den
Millwall (Championship – step 2)
Capacity: 20,146
Miles from Sutton: 11

The Valley
Charlton Athletic (League One – step 3)
Capacity: 27,111
Miles from Sutton: 13

Brisbane Road
Leyton Orient (League Two – step 4)
Capacity: 9,271
Miles from Sutton: 16

Harrogate Town had to go down the same route when they got promoted to the Football League last summer.

They ended up groundsharing their first few home matches at Doncaster Rovers’ Keepmoat Stadium before returning to their actual home.

Fans reacted as National League club Sutton United look at a potential groundshare for the 2021/22 season…

@charlieharden1: It seems strange that #EFL clubs in Leagues 1 & 2 can’t use 3G pitches. With climate change and the obvious impact of postponed matches & fixture congestion all weather pitches are surely the way forward.

@d_tipping: The FA has always been backward thinking,to many old men running it

@CFCJacckk: That’s a shame look at most Europa league pitches they are 3G

@francheesee: Yet its fine for 3G at CSKA Moscow in a Champions League match…

@suttonutdpride: As always our board are on the board… however losing the community 4G pitch could potentially be massive. However a lot of football still has to be played before we get to that point

@Gandermonium: Sounds like it’s been busy busy busy at GGL! 😳

@ambersalamander: It might not happen but my goodness the possibilities are exciting.So grateful as always to have such a fantastic, competent and level-headed team of people running our club

@Alexormond94: Very interesting

@StatEmeritus: Good old EFL moaning about lack of funds and support…and then forcing clubs into unnecessary expense.

@dave_trill82: Why can’t artificial pitches be used in the EFL? They’re a way for lower league clubs to make much needed money, they’d also mean games won’t be postponed due to the elements & the standard of football will improve as the matches will be played on better surfaces.

@wastedrockrange: The problem is that the members look after themselves and don’t look at the wider picture. It’s inevitable that they will be allowed at some stage as more and more clubs will struggle without them. It’s a no brainer. Gets more people active and staying fit.

@SmudgerGregg: Money is no object when it comes to more money! From using “grassroots” PR and funding and the like to build a facility to “support the community” they will now use a Sport England loan to dig it up…. classic football

@MarkBravery: 2021 could just be a groundbreaking year for Sutton Utd. It’s a shame that so far the fans haven’t been allowed into grounds to witness the on-field success. We now wait to see if the loan comes through