WESTBURY United FC will not be able to host games at their home ground, the Platinum Hyundai Park, until they can upgrade their training room facilities.
While this is being organised, Melksham Town FC has offered a lifeline to the club and allowed them to play at their Oakfield Stadium until these vital changes are made.
Westbury United were required to make all of their changing rooms larger as part of the Southern League criteria, a league they were promoted to at the end of the 2021/22 season, or risk possible expulsion from the league.
The club says that they thought they would be given more time to make the changes as it requires significant financial backing, but they have now been told by the Football Association (FA) and the Southern League that they can no longer host home games this season until the changes have been made.
The club is required to extend both the home and away changing rooms, as well as the officials’ changing room as per requirements for the league, which they are working on now. The club plans to knock through the current officials’ changing room in order to make the players’ changing rooms larger and they have hired a portacabin to act as a temporary changing room for the officials, which is expected to arrive by the end of September.
The club has confirmed that Melksham Town FC has stepped in and allowed Westbury United to play the next four home games at their Oakfield Stadium, while they wait for the portacabin.
Westbury United said, “We were aware that our changing rooms needed to be made bigger in order to meet the standard of league criteria, however, we thought that we would have more time to rectify this and so this news came as a shock to us all.
“In order to compete at step 4, certain requirements must be met and although we have made enormous strides off the pitch to comply with the rules and requirements of the Southern League, the home and away changing rooms need improvement. They need to go from 16 square metres to 18 square metres and the officials’ changing room needs to go from four square metres to six square metres. Although this may sound straight forward, it’s not quite that simple, especially financially.
“The future of the club has weighed very heavy on our shoulders this past week. But in saying that, there has been lots of positive meetings, with everybody involved pulling together to ensure we continue our Southern League status. So, as a short-term solution we will be supplying the officials with a portacabin, which falls in line with the league’s criteria and is due to arrive hopefully by the middle/end of September.
“One of our supporters, Jim Pickernell, has kindly offered his services to make adjustments to our current changing rooms, by knocking through the officials’ changing room in order to achieve the league criteria of 18 square metres for both the home and the away teams. A massive thank you to Jim, again it shows the importance of supporters and volunteers in non-league football. We’d like to personally thank both the FA and the Southern League for their co-operation and support in dealing with this matter.
“So, you will all be thinking, what do we do for now and where will we play our next four home fixtures? Having heard the seriousness of the matter above, Melksham Town FC have come to Westbury United’s aid and have offered the club a lifeline to remain in the Southern League. We are extremely grateful to the Melksham board and especially to our friend and chairman at Melksham Town, Darren Perrin, who has gone above and beyond in the last 10 days to ensure Westbury United can continue its step 4 status.
“Darren reached out when he heard the news and acted very swiftly to offer us a helping hand, by very kindly offering us the Oakfield Stadium facility to play our next three league matches, and more if needed. We can’t thank Darren, the board and Melksham as a community enough for their generosity and support. We will forever be grateful to them for their kindness and approach in helping us through this difficult time.
“The FA Trophy game on September 9th against Bemerton Heath Harlequins, will now also take place at the Oakfield Stadium, home of Melksham Town. This fixture could have taken place at Platinum Hyundai Park, but with the changing rooms under construction that week, Darren has kindly offered us the facilities of the Oakfield Stadium. Our plans that were submitted to the league with regards to the building work on the existing changing rooms are still in place, and we hope to get this work started on before the start of next season.
“Lastly, we’d like to say a massive thank you to our sponsors and supporters for their continued support, help and understanding in this matter.”
The Westbury United home games that will be played at the Oakfield Stadium are: Malvern Town 2nd September, Bemerton Heath (FA trophy) 9th September, and Wimborne Town FC 28th September.
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