Newbury FC Receives Approval to Play at Home Ground

A football club is set to resume playing at its home venue this weekend, following a successful inspection of its changing facilities by the Football Association. Newbury FC had previously returned to Faraday Road, a site owned by West Berkshire Council, in November, six years after its eviction. However, the council was subsequently informed that the team could only use the facility for training due to the inadequate size of the changing rooms. On Thursday, the council declared that it had reconfigured the layout of the facilities, leading to the successful completion of the inspection. Nigel Foot, the council’s portfolio holder for sport, stated: “I am delighted that Newbury will play their first league match for several years at Faraday Road this weekend.” He added: “Within a very short time we have re-purposed some of the facilities to enable this to happen and I am very grateful to all involved at achieving this.” The club’s eviction from Faraday Road occurred in 2018, at which time the Conservative-led council indicated its intention to utilize the location for the redevelopment of the London Road Industrial Estate. Subsequently, the site deteriorated, and a significant portion of it was destroyed by an arson attack three years thereafter. In 2023, upon assuming control of the authority, the Liberal Democrats committed to facilitating Newbury FC’s return to Faraday Road. The team played its initial match at the venue on 9 November; however, on 22 November, the Football League notified the council that the changing facilities required expansion for Newbury FC to be eligible to play league matches there. Mr. Foot attributed the problem to a “breakdown in communication.”