Major improvements are underway at The Brewery Field as Spennymoor Town prepare for the 2019/20 Vanarama National League North season.

As well as the new pitch, there are further developments taking place at the South end of the ground.

Completely new terracing is being installed behind the goal, replacing the current terrace, which has been in place for more than 100 years.  There is also a new Tees Crescent turnstile due to be installed.

This will be followed by the erection of a new covered stand behind the goal and potentially a modular club house on the site of the current car park, where the former club house stood. The new Football League-standard pitch will also be surrounded by a new metal perimeter fence.

Because of the significance of the improvements taking place and the severe weather during June, which delayed works by 10 days, the club has requested for the first four games of the 19/20 season to be played away from home.

This would allow the new pitch to bed in correctly and prevent any teething issues during its maiden season.

This request has been made on the advice of an agronomist, who has advised the club superbly in the installation of the new playing surface to date.

Tony Wilson, Managing Director of Spennymoor Town, said: “I’d like to thank everyone who has been involved in our new pitch, which we’re all very excited about.

“On the advice of our agronomist, we’ve requested our first four games, which will probably be over a three-week period, to be played away from home.  This would give the pitch ample time to bed in.

“The other works wouldn’t affect games being played as we could close certain parts of the ground to allow completion whilst games are on.  However, the pitch needs to be right.

“The decision on whether to grant us this request now lies with the league, who have been extremely supportive of our ambitious plans for the ground to date.

“I realise this might seem inconvenient for supporters, but it is a necessary evil to get the stadium to a level that we need to move the club onwards.  I’d expect that most people will understand the importance of getting the pitch up-to-scratch, given the recent postponements it has caused over the last two years.  

“I’d like to thank everyone for their support, our Groundsman Mark for his hard work so far and the various volunteers who have given their time to the club over the summer.

“We’re into the final week of season ticket applications.  We’ve done well so far, but we still need more people to buy-in. If anyone is on the fence about whether to take the plunge, I’d urge them to come and join us on our journey at what has become the best value-for-money football club to support in the North East.

“We’ve done our part by improving the squad; investing heavily in the ground; and improving the match day experience.  It’s time for the football fans of Spennymoor, County Durham and the North East to do theirs and help propel this club onwards and upwards.”