New stadium move a 'dream becoming a reality'

Much of the new facility at Sawston will be available for public use and hire

A football club chairman says the first match in a new stadium will be making a dream become a reality, after 10 years of ground-sharing.

Cambridge City FC played at Milton Road for 91 years until the 2012/13 season, since when it has been sharing a ground with both St Ives and Histon.

It will play its first game at the new FWD/IP Community Stadium against Tilbury on 30 November.

Kevin Satchell, chairman of the Isthmian League club, said: "We dreamed of watching City in its own home again, and we are finally making that dream a reality."

The club left Milton Road when the land was sold for housing.

In 2014, South Cambridgeshire District Council announced plans for a new 3,000-capacity stadium in Sawston, re-granting permission in 2018.

Mr Satchell said: "This is a proud day for me, my family, and all the City fans who have supported us through thick and thin."

The club website describes its function rooms as "an ideal venue for conferences, seminars, weddings and celebrations"

Club president Len Satchell bought the 35-acre (14 ha) site in Sawston a year before Cambridge City left the Milton Road ground, according to the website.

Following a unanimous vote in favour of planning permission in 2014, initial clearance work started.

A local resident won an appeal to overturn the planning decision "citing a technicality in the decision-making process by the planning committee".

​The football club resubmitted the application and was granted permission again in 2018 after it was signed off by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

'Significant venue'

Along with the main pitch, the stadium also has an artificial 3G pitch, currently in use for training of all Cambridge City teams, local teams and the community, as well as external hire.

The stadium has further community land, the intention is to turn this into further grass football pitches.

Cambridge City FC's website says: "Our new home will be a significant venue in the locality and could have a positive effect for local businesses.

"The space proposed at the new stadium is available to be used by the local community and businesses alike and therefore will be a very positive addition to the village of Sawston."

General manager Alice Dewey said that the new stadium had finally given the club the chance to "bring Cambridge City FC back to its former glories".