The off-season at FGR is always an interesting time of the year: an unusual mix of preparation for the new season (season tickets, streaming, hospitality, menus, prices, staffing & safety management, to name just a few), coupled with big off-season projects and of course this year, adapting to the Vanarama National League (VNL).
Some people believe that in May/June things quieten down at FGR and we all go on holiday for two months; this couldn’t be further from the truth! It is one of the busiest times of the year for everyone at the club and this season is exceptional with two very large projects for 24/25: The Candriam Training Centre at J13 and the new hybrid pitch at The New Lawn.
On the stadium pitch, the contractor has completed most of the key enabling works; excavation, drainage, irrigation, power supply, water pumps, etc. And they have built up the different layers to the pitch, with the final top layer installed at the start of July. The pitch will have been seeded by the time you’re reading this update, after which it should be six to seven weeks before the surface is ready to host a game.
The timeline is affected by the weather so we are working with a forecast rather than a guarantee; an ever present factor when dealing with a grass pitch. This will take us to around mid-August and we hope that this will only impact one home game fixture for 24/25. We’ve been in constant communication with the League regarding the progress of the works and liaising with them on the 24/25 fixtures; which are released on Wednesday, July 10.
We’ve also been able to donate a sizable amount of our old soil to a range of local clubs and organisations to help them improve their pitches and surrounds. I’m really pleased with this outcome as it’s a worthwhile use of our old and a positive benefit to the community.
The Candriam Training Centre is ready for the First Team and the pitches are looking incredible. Nick and the Grounds team have done an outstanding job on both pitches, especially given some of the challenges site has given us.
In terms of planning permission for the Marquee, we’ve appealed the decision from the council and now await the appeals process; which will probably take some time. The contractor has recently completed the first phase of the entrance way to the Training Centre, some of you may have noticed a bit of disruption over the last month near the motorway junction. It’s a surprisingly complex job and has been a painfully slow process.
For those who are super keen, there is a link to the live Time Lapse from the Candriam Training Centre: https://ecoparkcam1.photosentinel.photos/mobile/v/20669
Season ticket sales are progressing well, roughly in line with last season. They’re now available on general sale so it’s a great time if supporters are considering buying their first Season Ticket, switching seats or maybe even upgrading to Hospitality. Overall feedback has been broadly positive on the changes, reduction in prices and the new U16 category.
Once the fixtures are released on July 10th, we will then be able to provide supporters with updated information on the key areas for the 24/25 season, including away ticket information, Official Away Coach travel, streaming options, Park & Ride and also improvements to the GreenMan/Fan zone.
I have met up with the Supporters Club a couple of times since my appointment, to ensure this key line of communication is maintained; listening to thoughts and concerns from supporters, to discuss the various changes behind the scenes and ideas for future plans. I would always encourage supporters become a SC member, to help contribute, support and be a part of the FGR journey: www.fgrsc.com
We also have our second Open Evening on Thursday July 11 here at The New Lawn; giving supporters a great opportunity to visit, ask questions, review what seats and packages are available and try some free tasters from our hospitality menus.
Plus it’s a chance to see the new pitch! The team and I will be onsite from 5pm to 8pm and supporters can register here or just pop up on the day.
Pre-Season Games
We have four Pre-season games so far; yesterday’s game at Slimbridge and three more to come; all of these are away due to the pitch renovations.
Saturday 13th July, 2pm KO – Melksham Town (A)
Saturday 27th July, 3pm KO - Royal Wootton Bassett Town (A)
Wednesday 31st July, 7pm KO – Evesham United (A)
Finally, to me, a football club is always about the people and the community – supporters, players, club staff, stewards, Matchday staff, grounds team, volunteers, Trust, Academy and many more.
The last few seasons have been a huge disappointment to say the least, but our support has been resilient through those tough times and backed the team at home and away. We have made a lot of changes to get us ready for the challenge ahead in the VNL, which has some very strong teams; but we go into the season with optimism for the challenge ahead.
