Newbury football ground: First match to be played in five years

Work has been going on to make the Faraday Road ground playable again

For the first time in five years football is set to return to a council-owned pitch in Berkshire that was threatened with closure.

The ground at Faraday Road in Newbury had been earmarked for redevelopment by West Berkshire Council.

Following the elections in May, the incoming Lib Dem administration pledged to keep the site for football.

An under-8s match is due to be played on Sunday with hopes for adult matches to begin next season.

The facilities at Faraday Road had not been used since the town's football club and youth groups were evicted by West Berkshire Council in 2018, ahead of potential redevelopment work.

The buildings, owned by the council, were destroyed in a suspected arson attack in 2021.

The previous Conservative administration wanted to replace it with a new ground, to include a 3G pitch and club house, at Newbury Rugby Club at Monks Lane in the town.

Lee McDougall campaigned for Faraday Road to be retained for football.

Campaigners insisted throughout that Faraday Road should be retained for football.

A legal challenge over whether the council acted within planning rules was dismissed at the Royal Courts of Justice earlier this year.

The redevelopment was then set to go ahead before the Liberal Democrats gained control of the council having campaigned on the issue.

Lee McDougall of Newbury Community Football Group said it the U-turn was "brilliant".

"You almost can't quite believe it until it happens - it'll be the icing on the cake to see this ground brought back to life," he said.

Former England international Theo Walcot was among those who started their career at AFC Newbury.

The club, currently in the Hellenic League, shares a ground outside the town but hopes to move back to its old home at Faraday Road, eventually with a 3G pitch.

Vice chairman Ifor Sheldon said: "Hopefully we'll get promotion so we'll need extra facilities - hospitality and referees' changing rooms is a must for next season."

The kids' match on Sunday morning is due to take place alongside a penalty shoot out competition for spectators.

The Faraday Road site was badly damaged in a suspected arson attack in 2021