Football club faces 'bittersweet' relegation

A Canterbury football club is facing a "bittersweet" return to the city as it takes a voluntary relegation

A Kent football club says it will make a "bittersweet" return to its home city after being unable to find a suitable ground to stay in its current league.

Canterbury City FC had been fighting for promotion from the Southern Counties East Division One but will now seek voluntary relegation from the league.

The club said it had been unable to agree a ground-sharing agreement with other clubs in the county, forcing it to apply to the Kent County League Premier Division to play next season.

A spokesperson for the club said it would be moving from its current facilities, in Margate, to the Neighbourhood Resource Centre in Thanington.

Trevor James, club chairman, said: "It will be a bittersweet return of the club to Canterbury, as we will have gained our heartland but at the cost of our status.

"The holy grail has always been to 'bring the City back home'."

Mr James said the club had sought ground-sharing deals with clubs across Kent as well as looking to renovate facilities at the University of Kent, but had been unable to secure a deal.

The club added that it expected to initially struggle in the lower league due to losing some of its coaching staff and players.

The move to the Neighbourhood Resource Centre is subject to improvement works to the changing rooms, it added.

Canterbury currently sit third in the league fighting for a play-off position with four games left to play.

However, the club have been told that they will not be promoted should they win the league title and will not be allowed to compete in the play-offs if they finish in the top five.

The club came one step away from Wembley in 2019, reaching the semi-finals of the FA Vase.