New groundshare deal has been agreed between two Step 3 clubs in the same league, it was revealed in a statement published last Friday.
Isthmian League Premier Division side Corinthian-Casuals have said that Kingstonian will remain at King George’s Field on a season by season arrangement, and a new groundshare agreement has now been agreed for the 2020/2021 season.
They both however come to the decision that the proposed joint venture between between them is no longer a viable option, and all discussions have been brought to an amicable close.
The duo have taken the opportunity to work together on a number of charitable initiatives, not least a successful fundraising drive which benefited two local charities, KCAH and Kingston Carers Network. On the pitch during the last season they met twice, once in the League and once in the FA Trophy, the tenants emerging victorious on both occasions.
Kingstonian have been at Corinthian Casuals since the 2018/19 season, and previous to that, were tenants at Leatherhead’s Fetcham Grove for the 2017–18 season.
The K’s once had their own home, Kingsmeadow Stadium, which was opened in August 1989. After entering administration to avoid bankruptcy, they lost the Kingsmeadow lease in October 2001, but managed to get it assigned in April 2002 by the administrators to a property developer, Rajesh Khosla, who was also by then owner of the club.
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AFC Wimbledon were already sub-tenants at Kingsmeadow, before raising £2.4 million to buy the lease from Khosla in June 2003, with a view to making it their home.
Kingstonian secured a 25-year sub-tenancy agreement with AFC Wimbledon, with customary break clauses.
The clubs operated a ground-sharing arrangement, with Kingstonian receiving preferentially cheap rental terms. But in 2015, AFC Wimbledon agreed plans to sell Kingsmeadow to Chelsea’s ladies team to help finance their plans to move to a new stadium in Merton.
Chelsea have stated that they wish to use Kingsmeadow for their own youth and women’s teams and are not willing to accommodate non league Kingstonian.
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