The club’s main pitch was set to be changed from grass into a FIFA Pro 3G artificial surface ahead of the 2023/24 season. However, work will now begin next summer in time for the start of the 2024/25 season.
Talking of the reasons behind the decision, chairman Andy Crisp said there were factors that have had to be considered, the main one being time constraints that the club felt it could not take risk with.
He told his club’s website: “Obviously, we are disappointed we are not going ahead with the project immediately.
“But it is only a temporary delay. The 3G surface will be laid next summer.
“For a major project like this we must be certain everything is ready to go, everything is in order, yet there are still a couple of boxes to tick; boxes that we feel are important to everything going smoothly.
“As a Step 3 club, we are not prepared to risk a timescale that could eat into at best pre-season for our teams and, at worse, into the league season itself. It’s not a situation we are prepared to put ourselves in.
“So, as a board, we felt it right not to rush into this, but to continue all the hard work we, as a club, are doing in making sure it will be a facility for the town of Leiston to be proud of, with the positive being, the extra time we have afforded ourselves will allow us to begin planning phase two of our three-phase project sooner; beginning work on a new clubhouse.
“And of course, that extra commitment now means we are still actively seeking funds from interested businesses and individuals who wish to get involved in our exciting community project.”
Leiston are one of several non-League football clubs, not just in Suffolk but around the country, who are going down or have gone down the route of replacing their grass surfaces to artificial 3G, whereby the weather rarely, if ever, causes postponement of games. And the pitch can be used more often by more groups.
Indeed, Leiston’s project is very much a community one, with the idea for more youth, women’s and girls’ football to be available on the new surface.
Speaking at the launch of the project back in January, Leiston joint first-team boss Darren Eadie said: “We have just the one main pitch right now, which is regarded as one of the best in the county. But it takes an awful pounding at times.
“A 3G pitch will mean we can train at our own ground, something that hasn’t always been possible. And of course, the opportunity for local groups youth teams and others, to make use of the facility is a great community boost”.
Most clubs are looking for volunteers. Find out more on the button below:
www.PitchingInVolunteers.co.ukAll the news and results in one place.
REGISTER