Maidenhead United 'sad' to be leaving historic ground
York Road is the oldest used football ground in the world
Last updated 21st Sep 2022
MAIDENHEAD United Football Club (MUFC) said it will be “sad” to leave its historic grounds as plans to build a new stadium at Braywick park is expected to be submitted this winter.
Councillors sitting on the Maidenhead town forum heard the club aims to submit its scheme by December following consultations with its supporters, stakeholders, and the public.
The Magpies finalised its deal with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead to purchase a piece of land at the northern end of Braywick Park for a reported £460,000 in April 2022 in order to build a new stadium larger than its current base in York Road, which has been in use since 1871 and is the oldest used football ground in the world.
MUFC chief executive Jon Adams said:
“It is sad that we are leaving York Road. We’ve been there for a very long time but clearly the move is the only way for us to achieve our ambitions for the club.
“We are not just a football club. We are more than that. We see ourselves as a community resource that is growing and needs to continue to grow”
He explained to the forum that the MUFC, which hosts one of the largest community sports clubs in the Thames Valley, is growing significantly and therefore needs bigger grounds to facilitate fans and its community activities in the years to come.
The meeting heard the historic football ground is “very old” and needs “significant investment” of about £10m in order to keep it fit-for-purpose. Mr Adams called the move the most “realistic” option for the club to secure its long-term sustainable future and aspirations.
The proposal incorporates a large stadium seating 5,200 people, a multi-purpose pitch to facilitate other sport activities, such as wheelchair rugby and basketball, a clubhouse, and a smaller football pitch to host community activities and amateur games.
The new grounds will also support other community users such as the Maidenhead archers, who currently using a small site behind the former Sportsable building.
Mr Adams added this move is not too far away from the existing site, which means the club will still be connected to the town and the local transport links. He also said many of the trees will be maintained where they can.
The meeting heard no public money is being used and the club’s limited company is paying for the development costs if plans are approved.