Maidenhead United threatens legal action over stadium move

Maidenhead United is planning to move from its York Road ground

A non-league football club is set to launch legal action in a dispute over relocating to a new stadium.

Maidenhead United had planned to move from its York Road home following a reported £460,000 deal to acquire land at Braywick Park in 2022.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead said it made the "difficult decision" to block the land's release over concerns about the loss of space.

The club said it had been "left up in the air" by the council's move.

Maidenhead United's current ground at York Road is believed to be the oldest senior football ground in the world to be continually used by the same club.

The National League club had planned to move to Braywick Park for a new community stadium with "associated astroturfs, athletics, futsal, disabled sport and wellbeing facilities".

York Road is believed to be the oldest senior football ground in the world to be continually used by the same club

Chief Executive John Adams said plans to move, which were instigated four years ago, were "fundamentally important" for the club's future.

He said: "The reality is our existing ground at York Road is tired and requires significant investment. We need to deliver new and improved facilities.

"York Road provides us with a town centre site with quite significant value - it creates the opportunity for us to deliver a fantastic new stadium.

"We have taken legal advice and believe we have no alternative but to take legal action - we believe there has been a breach of contract."

He said the new plans would create "additional community facilities at no cost to the council" and that the club would "continue to explore how we would deliver it" with the local authority.

The club wants to move to a site at Braywick Park

Since the cabinet's decision a petition, which has already attracted more than 1,300 signatures, has been launched urging the council to reconsider.

The council said it had "carefully considered" the loss of public open space following objections.

"After giving full consideration to both sides of this important matter, and receiving a full and detailed report, Cabinet decided that the loss of public open space in this location outweighed the potential benefits of leasing to Maidenhead Utd FC." it said.

"This was a difficult decision, based on significant considerations raised in the public objections."