GUNNISLAKE Football Club, who play in division one of the Duchy League, is excited that this Saturday (October 7) it will play its first match at its new ground Butts Meadow.

The club said it is with sadness that it has moved from its previous location at the King George V playing field within the Gunnislake village — a picturesque spot a short distance up from the river Tamar and where the club has played its matches for several decades.

Club treasurer Mark Warwick told the Times Sport: ‘For many years the pitch drainage has been very poor, so much so that most winters the club does not play any home games between late October and late February. In the last two seasons the club paid to play seven home matches at other locations.

‘Over the years the various committee members the club has had, have looked for ways to improve the pitch. Works have been undertaken with limited success, and so the waterlogged pitches continued to hold the club back on and off the field – on the field as it restricted promotions and made it difficult at times to attract players – off the field investment in the changing rooms was not forthcoming nor considered sensible with the pitch so often being unplayable.

‘Many, many times committee meetings have run on in time discussing the pitch drainage issue and most times the only solution seen was to find a nearby field and start from scratch. But, of course, this was always seen as a massive challenge for two simple reasons - firstly it has been difficult to find a suitable nearby site and secondly even were that achieved it would be a massive challenge to finance the project.

‘Then all out of the blue and some 12 months ago we and many other local sports groups were contacted by the combined representatives of Calstock Cricket Club and Sport England. These organisations were contacting organisations like ourselves because the Butts Meadow site, where CCC had played cricket for 20 plus years and which CCC had owned for some four years having received financial support from Sport England, was no longer being used for any sport further to CCC ceasing to play cricket at the end of the 2015 cricket season.

‘From day one we jumped at the chance to relocate to this six acre site because as well as it providing a suitable field on which we could make a football pitch, there was also changing facilities with mains water and electric. Initially a couple of other local sports clubs did express an interest in using the site and the facilities but it soon became clear it was only us that will use the site —although should another organisation want to use the site they will be more than welcome to.

‘Despite, as mentioned above, there being no financial outlay for the site and there being changing facilities with mains water and electric it was still very clear right from the start that both much work and money would be required before the site could host a football match. The field was very overgrown and mowing equipment would need to be purchased (which it has been). Goalposts would also need to be purchased.

‘There was only one changing room as the second had been taken down by CCC as severely dilapidated and so we have constructed the “new” second changing room within the main building as being a cricket pavilion there was a communal area that we do not need. There were not any showers but we have installed a shower area with four showers. Roofing repairs were required and many areas of the flooring needed replacing/repair. The field entrance gate needed rehanging. And, generally the site needed a bit of a tidy up.

‘Pretty much all of the above has been undertaken although there is still further works we would like to do. And, in time we may consider a complete renovation even a rebuild of the changing facilities but this would not be for some time.

‘As a club we did have money in our bank account but the spend we have incurred soon used all of this and so several individuals have paid for items themselves but as a club we want to eventually reimburse most of this, although some monies we have received has been by way of generous donations.

‘Regards the labour undertaken we paid for the showers to be installed and for the shower flooring to be laid. But all other labour has been undertaken for no cost by club members or friends and family of club members.

‘Many individuals have undertaken this work but the following thoroughly deserve a mention as they have done the majority of the work, Stuart Wakenshaw (and Stuart’s dad Mike), Joe Wakenshaw, Michael Kinger (and wife Hazel), Nigel Stevens (and wife Jo).’