A FOOTBALL team which this year notched its best FA Cup run in 40 years is set to get a new 5,000-capacity community stadium.

Laurence Cawley

A FOOTBALL team which this year notched its best FA Cup run in 40 years is set to get a new 5,000-capacity community stadium.

Bury Town Football Club, which reached the first round of this year's FA Cup, is looking to move from its current home at Ram Meadow to a new 11-acre base near the Flying Fortress public house at the eastern end of Moreton Hall.

Although the project is at an early stage, council leaders have suggested the existing Ram Meadow site could be used for parking or as a park and ride facility.

Russell Ward, chairman of Bury Town, said the club had been looking to move to a new facility for the past seven years but real progress had only been made in the last three weeks.

“It is something we are really excited about,” he said. “The main thing is that one of the pitches would be an all-weather pitch and we would be able to train at the facility rather than having to go elsewhere.

“This will be for the community and Moreton Hall as well. Ram Meadow has a 3,500 capacity but 5,000 would be adequate for us in the next 15 years.”

Next Wednesday, St Edmundsbury Borough Council will discuss the idea of giving the club £1million towards the £2million project.

The rest of the cash would come from the Football Foundation and other sources.

The project involves creating two floodlit pitches, a clubhouse and changing and stadium facilities.

Ward councillor Trevor Beckwith said he was angry at only learning about the scheme on Tuesday night and said he would be trying to make sure it benefitted people in Moreton Hall.

“I want to know what the people of Moreton Hall stand to gain from it all,” said Mr Beckwith.

Lynsey Alexander, portfolio holder for culture and sport at St Edmundsbury, said: “Cabinet backing for this project will again underline our commitment to improving the wellbeing of our community by investing in facilities for sport and exercise.”

She said the existing Ram Meadow site was on a floodplain which meant it was unlikely to be suitable for new housing.

“It is a flexible site though it is limited in terms of housing. It could make a good new car park or a park and ride. There are all sorts of things it could be used for.”