COLCHESTER United Ladies FC are to play their FA Tesco Women's Premier League home games at Stanway Rovers' Hawthorns Ground on New Farm Road for the remainder of the 2009/10 season.

COLCHESTER United Ladies FC are to play their FA Tesco Women's Premier League home games at Stanway Rovers' Hawthorns Ground on New Farm Road for the remainder of the 2009/10 season.

Colchester United Community Sports Trust Director of Female Football Kevin Anderson said: “We are delighted to have reached an agreement with Stanway, we played a fixture against Cardiff City there last week as a trial run for both parties and the hospitality we received at the club was outstanding.

“We have been looking for a more central location for some time now having previously utilised grounds that are a bit out of our catchment area. The Hawthorns is in the ideal spot just off of the A12 and close to town to enable more of our supporters, particularly those from our Centre of Excellence youth teams to get down to the games.”

The Colchester Ladies side ply their trade in the FA Women's Premier League South, the second tier of female football in the country, taking on sides such as West Ham United, Charlton and Portsmouth.

The two clubs will review the arrangement at the end of the season but it is hoped a long-term partnership can be formed which may help open the door for ground improvement funding.

Anderson added: “I'd like to thank Rovers first-team manager Steve Downey, secretary Paul Rogers, the chairman and everyone at Stanway who has made this possible and made us feel so welcome. It's a great example of community clubs working together.”