Enfield
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Stadium fears allayed
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| Enfield Town Football Club wants to move back to the borough by playing at Queen Elizabeth Stadium (EL7433-1) |
BOSSES at Enfield Town Football Club have acted to quell fears over plans to return the team to the borough.
The club wants to move permanently to Queen Elizabeth Stadium, in Donkey Lane.
This would bring to an end to seven-year ground share with Brimsdown Rovers, outside of Enfield.
It would also see a club with an Enfield name back in the borough for the first time since 1999 when the then Enfield FC sold their Southbury Road stadium and embarked on a ground sharing operation with Boreham Wood.
Enfield Town was set up two years later by a supporters trust, which feared that football would never return to the borough.
However, some stadium users fear that Enfield Town is seeking sole use of the site, would bar school users, dig up an athletics track and disrupt the operations of Enfield Ignatians Rugby Club.
But Club chairman Paul Millington has vowed that neither clubs nor residents would be adversely affected, though.
He said: "We are not looking to encroach on any area. Our plans fit in with everything that's already there. There is no plan to encroach on any club or park land.
"We're looking to make best use of the stadium in a sustainable way."
The early-stage plans include new stands for fans and also a range of artificial five-a-side football pitches.
No decision from Enfield Council is expected before the summer, but Mr Millington says any development would be detrimental to nobody.
"We know the days of clubs acting on their own are gone," he said. "We envisage that the current stadium would be refurbished, and the astro-turf pitches made available to schools during day time.
"There's the potential for mixed use like IT classes, creches, and fitness classes. We want to bring the community into the stadium."
Enfield Town FC director Dave Bryant echoed this sentiment.
He said: "Some concerns may be based on fear of change, and we want to work closely with people to make sure we are good neighbours.
"Our work on facilities at Brimsdown shows what we are like. People have no reason to worry."
4:33pm Tuesday 29th April 2008
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