Leam fail to put Brakes on switch

By Jon Couch

BOSS: Scott Easterlow

Leamington say they share the disappointment of their fans after being forced to move their Bank Holiday Monday fixture at Stourbridge to the following night.

The Brakes were notified of a potential issue back in July with Stourbridge’s lease agreement for their War Memorial Ground permitting them to only play two home games in August.

The adjacent Stourbridge Cricket Club currently hold the lease of the stadium throughout August, meaning the Glassboys have no control over staging Southern League Premier Central fixtures until the day after the Bank Holiday, on Tuesday September 1.

Expressing their dissatisfaction of this situation to the Southern League, the Brakes, managed by Scott Easterlow, were given two options, to play the game on a Tuesday night or reverse the fixture.

But with the Stourbridge game their only fixture at the New Windmill between December 13 and January 16, it made no financial sense to switch the fixture, leaving them with no choice but to accept the Tuesday night offering.

In a statement to fans, the club said: “We understand and share the disappointment shown by our supporters following the news that our fixture away at Stourbridge has been moved from Bank Holiday Monday to Tuesday night.

“Reversing the fixtures would have made zero financial sense to Leamington FC. In previous years our home festive games have provided vital income, with attendances higher.

“It became clear that Stourbridge’s stadium was unlikely to be made available on the Bank Holiday Monday, so we were left with no choice but to agree to play on the Tuesday night.”