AMBITIOUS Sutton United say promotion to the Football League spells the beginning of their journey and not the end of an era – and they are ready for any eventuality!
The U's have defied the odds to chase down an 11-point deficit from Torquay United to take pole position in the National League table.
But, if their dream of reaching the Football League for the first time was to be realised, then the U's board would have to put their heads together and devise a new strategy.
First and foremost, the club would have to rip up their trusted 3G surface at Gander Green Lane – not permitted in the EFL – and replace it with grass, thus forcing them to abandon and rethink their highly successful community business model.
This week, the club issued a statement explaining to fans how they plan to combat such changes if promotion was to be achieved, while also outlining the issues facing the club moving forward.
Income
A planning consultant has been employed to help Sutton undertake a “schedule of works” at the ground – including additional seating, upgraded turnstiles and improved floodlighting – while options are also being explored how to rehouse a number of community groups and youth sports teams who will no longer be able to use Gander Green Lane as their host venue, at a significant loss of income to the club.
Officials also stated that, due to the later than usual finish to the 2020-21 season, the club will need to consider a temporary groundshare for the start of next season, should they achieve promotion, while the existing surface is ripped up and new grass is bedded in.
Matt Gray's side are four points clear at the top of the table after surviving a testing week, which saw them beat Chesterfield on Tuesday night and draw with fellow promotion chasers Stockport County yesterday.
The statement read: “[Promotion to the Football League] carries a number of implications and we are working hard off the field to address these, many of which we have previously experienced following a strong season in 2017-18.
“We are pleased to confirm that our application to EFL has been accepted. Should we be fortunate enough to still be challenging for promotion as the season progresses, we have a schedule of works to undertake, tasks which we are addressing right now with several projects already fully planned out, ready to be implemented if our current on-field performance continues.
“We all know that the EFL does not permit 3G surfaces, so we have been getting plans and quotes for a return to grass should it be necessary. Even modern hybrid grass surfaces cannot take the hours of usage that a 3G will sustain, so an important question for us to solve is where our many community teams would be able to play and train.
Contingency
“We are exploring a number of options, including trying to identify alternative sites for a new 3G facility. The ideal location would obviously be Collingwood Recreation Ground but the issues are sufficiently complex that we need to explore other options also.
“With this season ending later than normal there is unlikely to be enough time to lay and bed in a new grass surface before the start of the 2021-22 season so, if we do win promotion, we might need to consider a groundshare arrangement for the first few home games, a contingency for which we are already making provisional plans.
“We have appointed a planning consultant to look at a number of matters including additional seating, upgraded turnstiles, improved floodlighting and the return to grass.
“Even these headline items bring a number of further implications that have to be addressed. Everybody is working hard to ensure that we have all eventualities covered no matter how the next few months turn out. Rest assured, whatever the outcome, we will be ready!”
