Cambridge City FC, who play in the eighth tier of England’s football pyramid, have been homeless since 2013, after vacating their 91-year-old ground of Milton Road at the end of the 2012-13 season. The original stadium, located within 1km of the city centre, was one of the largest outside the Football League and was at one point estimated to have a capacity in excess of 20,000, while the highest recorded attendance was 12,058 against Leytonstone in 1950. Part of the original ground, however, was sold for redevelopment in 1985, resulting in a replacement stadium of 2,300 capacity.

To add to this nomadic lifestyle, it was announced in 2012 that club President Len Satchell had purchased 35 acres of land in Sawston, a village seven miles south of Cambridge, with the view to build a new 3,000-seater stadium. The Milton Road site was sold for housing development, forcing the Lilywhites to ground-share until planning permission was granted and construction began on the new ground, most recently with local rivals Histon FC at the Glassworld Stadium.

City’s core fans have endured a turbulent time over the past few years with off-field issues and finances. The new stadium took four years of planning before it was finally given the go ahead in 2018, but there is now finally light at the end of the tunnel as construction fires on all cylinders.

The club hopes to welcome spectators to their state-of-the-art ground in as early as February next year. Aside from the main field, the stadium will house an artificial 3G pitch that will be available for external use. Additionally, various function rooms will be open for hire, making it the ideal venue for conferences, seminars, and other events. With such modern facilities, City’s stadium will serve as a great community hub for not only people living in South Cambridgeshire, but also groups looking to travel down to Sawston.

Chris Cox, City’s Media and Communications Director, commented on the excitement of the build: “Our new stadium will give us a place to call home. A place for new and existing City fans to come together and be part of a new community in Sawston”. Despite rising steel prices, the floodlights have now been erected in the ground and Cox remains hopeful of a timely moving-in date: “We hope to be in the ground by early 2022 and celebrate this new beginning with a big event in the summer and showcase what being part of our City family is all about”.

In an outcome that could see the Lilywhites settle into their Sawston home before the end of this season, manager Robbie Nightingale’s side may well enjoy a much-needed boost in the league table. Currently 13th in the Northern Premier League Midlands Division, City have struggled to maintain a winning form. A recent three-game win streak, however, displayed a burst of quality that offers promise for the future. City will play host to Shepshed Dynamo in their next league fixture at 3pm tomorrow (16/10), a team who sits just two points above them in 10th place.