BASINGSTOKE Town have made an extremely positive start to the new football league campaign.

Under manager Dan Brownlie and his talented team they could well be in contention for promotion at the end of this season.  

If they were to finish in the promotion positions what are the options?

Ground Grading requirements:

  1. Basingstoke Town are playing at a ground that has been upgraded to FA Step 3 and the capacity is 1,950. If they were to accept promotion the HFA Winklebury ground will require to be upgraded to Step 2. The FA rules (section 6)  state: "A capacity of 3,000 is required with the (demonstrable) potential to increase this to 4,000 in the future".   
  2. Basingstoke Town can accept promotion if they choose to ground share at another FA Step 2 football ground. The two nearest FA Step 2 grounds are at Farnborough and Eastleigh.

HFA Winklebury is owned by Basingstoke council with the HFA having a long lease on it. It was supposed to be a football facility for the benefit of the wider Basingstoke football fraternity and not a semi-professional club.

The Camrose ground was once a Step 1 football stadium and hosted crowds of 4,000 and 5,000. In 2016 it was still at Step 2.   

Surely is it not time for the council to take action and get the town's iconic football ground restored as a modern community football centre and one would hope stop wasting more money on trying to upgrade HFA Winklebury.

David Graham 

Mallard Close

Kempshott

Basingstoke

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