Football is coming home to Newbury

League football is about to return to Newbury’s Farraday Road – for the first time in six years.

Newbury Football Club is to return to Faraday Road as its home ground, following its recent promotion to the Thames Valley Premier League.

West Berkshire Council, in partnership with Newbury Community Football Group (NCFG), have procured portable changing facilities for teams and officials, alongside a portable clubhouse and toilet facilities where the former clubhouse stood.

Coaches and players will also benefit from new dugouts and floodlights  for evening training sessions.

A portable spectator stand will also be added.

Nigel Foot (Lib Dem, Newbury Clay Hill), executive member for culture, sport, leisure and countryside at West Berkshire Council, said: “I’m really excited about getting senior football back to being played on Faraday Road football ground.

“This is just the start of our shared vision with NCFG to elevate Faraday Road back to the important position we believe it deserves within our community.”

Lee McDougall, from Newbury Community Football Group, said: “This is another major step forward in returning community football to Faraday Road.

“We have been campaigning for this since the ground closed in 2018 and we are working closely with West Berkshire Council to look to the next phase of development including the feasibility review of a 3G pitch.”

Newbury FC aims to play its first home game at Faraday Road in September.

Ifor Sheldon, vice chairman of Newbury FC, said: “Faraday Road is our spiritual home, and we can’t wait to get back playing there with this being our home ground.”

The additional facilities will make the ground compliant with FA National League System (NLS): Ground Grading 7 status, with the ability to add further enhancements to increase the ground grading as Newbury FC gets promoted in future seasons.