Clanfield FC to groundshare at Hawks’ Westleigh Park once 3G pitch is installed

The ambitious step 7 club have signed a one-year rolling contract to groundshare at Hawks’ Westleigh Park stadium.

Their first three home league games of 2020/21 – against Lyndhurst, Overton and Bush Hill – will take place at Peel Park, the ground they have played at since the 1950s.

But after that, they will use the 3G pitch that is currently being laid at Westleigh Park to stage their remaining 12 league matches and any cup ties.

Clanfield are hoping the groundshare will act as a catalyst for promotion back to the Wessex League, where they spent three seasons in the mid-noughties prior the formation of the HPL in 2007.

‘It’s all come completely out of the blue,’ said long-serving Clanfield secretary Stuart Wallis.

‘We were given the heads up about possibly groundsharing, and we saw it as too good an opportunity to turn down.

‘It’s a shame we’re leaving Peel Park, but we’re an ambitious club and this is a chance to hopefully progress up the ladder.’

Clanfield’s deal with Hawks is for two games a month and four training sessions for the first team and reserves.

The reserves will continue to play at Peel Park, and the club’s youth teams will continue to train at their current school venues.

Clanfield won’t be staging any midweek league games at Westleigh Park, but that would almost certainly change if the club won promotion to the Wessex League.

‘This shows massive ambition by the club,’ said Wallis.

‘It will be a great selling point - the fact we’ll be playing at the best facilities in the area outside of Fratton Park.

‘It will raise the profile of the club, and that of the Hampshire Premier League.

‘Havant have said they will advertise our games on social media, and we can have space in their programme as well.

‘It’s obviously an extra cost for the club, but hopefully some extra revenue streams will come out of it.

‘Havant offered us a fair deal - I know they have to run it as a business and as a community project.’

Clanfield will bank all the gate receipts from their home games at Westleigh Park, but food and drink monies will stay with Hawks.

‘This gives us the opportunity to progress if we’re good enough,’ said Wallis. ‘Now it’s up to the management team to build a squad good enough to take us up.

‘There’s lots of ambitious clubs in the Hampshire Premier. Infinity want to go up, Fleetlands now have floodlights, Stockbridge have lights, Hayling are a good young team who are making noises about wanting to go up.

‘Compared to a few clubs, our squad is still a work in progress.’

Clanfield, in boss Lee Blakely’s first season in charge, finished 10th out of 16 in the Senior Division - 12 months after only avoiding relegation on the final day by beating QK Southampton.

Blakeley said: ‘Moving to Westleigh Park will be massive for the club.

‘Hopefully we can build from here, and won’t be left behind by the bigger local clubs.’

Clanfield were first alerted to the possibility of groundsharing by Ross Betteridge, who became head coach at the club after leaving Horndean earlier this summer.

Betteridge works for Hawks as part of the community team.

‘It’s been a busy month,’ said Blakely. ‘Havant wanted someone in quickly, so we didn’t have much time - there’s been lots of meetings.

‘There was no room for manoeuvre at Peel Park, because it’s so close to the South Downs. Everytime we approached the council to do work it got knocked back.

‘This move should also bring the whole club together more.

‘Before there’s been a bit of a gap between the youth and senior sides, but we want to create a ‘one club’ ethos.

‘Hopefully now the younger players can see if they train well they could end up in the first team playing at Westleigh Park.

‘We’re no longer just a village club, the whole profile of the club will be lifted.’

Hawks are also keen to find a club to play regularly at Westleigh Park on a Sunday.

Portsmouth Women are believed to be interested as they seek a new home after playing the last two seasons at Baffins’ PMC Stadium.