WITH the news Basingstoke Town Football Club (BTFC) will have a new home in Winklebury, the team’s manager believes the move is a huge opportunity.

Throughout the saga rumbling off the field for almost two years, Terry Brown has been the man at the helm of the first team.

After last Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, where it was announced Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council agreed to provide Hampshire FA with a 75-year lease for site at Winklebury which includes a requirement for Hampshire FA to provide a home for BTFC, Mr Brown has praised the idea.

He said: “This is a massive high for the club.

“We are really focused on making Winklebury work and getting the local community involved and seeing more youth and women’s teams using the facilities.”

As part of the agreement for the club to move, there will be an upgraded pitch to artificially 3G turf so the facilities can be used by the wider community as well as the club.

As well as this provision Mr Brown believes a “top quality” club house is vital to making the ground the club’s home.

He added: “I’m not talking about a portacabin where fans can have a drink, we need somewhere that we can be proud of and that the whole community can use.

“We know that getting things in place is going to take a great deal of hard work, but I believe if we have a top-quality club house it will really pull everyone together.”

Having been agreed by the borough council, BTFC will move to Winklebury once ground grading works are completed and the transfer of ownership of the team to a community club basis takes place.