Altrincham Football Club has agreed a new lease with Trafford Borough Council for their Moss Lane ground and the J Davidson Stadium.
"The
lease was last renewed in 1987 for a 40-year period, so it still had 14 years
to run," said chairman Grahame Rowley.
"It’s the sort of thing you tend to put on the back burner
until nearer the time, but once we formulated plans for the community sports
hall, it became a matter of urgency.
"Funding
is vital for putting those plans into action, but one of the stipulations for
obtaining grants from the Football Foundation and the Premier League Facilities
Fund is that you have to have at least 25 years left on your ground lease.
"With
that in mind, we began lobbying the council for a renewal, and I am absolutely
delighted to say we have succeeded in securing an extension until 2047. As soon
as the new lease arrived on Friday, we put the company seal on it and returned
it to the council straightaway."
Altrincham are hoping to build the community sports hall alongside their main stand.
"It’s
great news that we have secured our future at the J.Davidson Stadium for such a
long time. It is another positive step forward in the development of the club,
and, of course, it means that it is now full steam ahead with the new hall. We
are proceeding with our applications for grants, but we need help from
businesses, organisations and individuals as well."