We started work on the enabling works for Phase 1, the new changing room extension, in May 2016 this included the clearing of the groundsman’s hut and its subsequent careful demolition to enable re-erection later.

The works at that stage were carried out by a team of mostly retired club members who have become known as the ‘Tuesday team’.
They have varied in numbers but the ages range from late 50’s to late 80’s, many weeks we have worked several days.
I feel it inappropriate to name all the names as I might forget someone, those that have helped know who they are.
They have saved the club an estimated £25,000 so far.

Thanks team.

The works were tendered in the summer 2016 and CF Construction (CFC) were successful, a business owned by the Coen family, who are club members.
The works to build phase 1 started in mid-November 2016.
The foundation proved challenging with many obstructions and challenges in the ground involving numerous underground services – a lot of foul and surface water drains, BT cables, 11Kv electric main, gas main and all the floodlight cables (18 columns in total), plus a septic tank and many foundations and blocks of concrete.

The floor of the new changing block is approximately 1800mm above ground level, this is a requirement of the Environment Agency to proof our building for a one in 100-year storm.

The CFC team have progressed well and although we are a few weeks later than we hoped, the works have been managed very professionally and we have benefitted from excellent workmanship and quality of their supply chain.
I am sure you will agree that the quality is high when you view the facilities of six changing rooms and two referee rooms, a physio-first aid room plus energy centre for mechanical, electrical and plumbing services.

In the autumn and winter the ‘Tuesday Team’ cleared the whole roof space of the old timber clubhouse (Fisher’s Folly) which I also project managed the work on in 1986 (Raise the Roof Project) when we built a steel portal frame over all the existing buildings at that time.

Phase 2 - once the season finished in late April 2017 the ‘Tuesday Team’ moved on to taking down the area of the existing changing rooms.
This involved a month hit in May 2017 when I called for able bodied volunteers – and they didn’t let me down.

We worked five days a week, the maximum number of people helping we had was 14 in one day, many days there were a small handful but the team of older club members were joined by board members, players (12 first teamers one day) and many younger club members – in total 36 different people helped.

The site was handed over to CFC in early June and again the high standard on Phase 1 continues Phase 2 will give us new toilets, committee room and office, shop and stores and is due for completion before the end of 2017.

Latterly, since June, the ‘Tuesday Team’ have been lifting and shifting, painting (and lots of it), cleaning and clearing making benches and supporting CFC in numerous jobs whilst drinking tea and having lots of fun.- it’s been a giggle most weeks!

So What’s Next….

Well the Tuesday Team will continue as there is much work to do preparing for Phase 3 which if we have funds will start in April 2018 at the season end through to September 2018 for the new season.

The first month will be busy as we remove all the building from under the existing portal frame and hand over to CFC to complete.

Thanks very much to all those who have helped with the construction work and particularly the Tuesday team.

Dave Pick