We’re almost there — and this is the moment we need our community behind us.
After years of planning, consultation and hard graft behind the scenes, Rotherfield United FC is now within touching distance of securing planning permission for our new 3G pitch and pavilion at Bishopswood Sports Ground. It is the biggest step forward in the club’s history, and it has only been possible thanks to the generosity, patience and belief of our players, parents, volunteers and supporters.
But we aren’t over the line yet. To take the project from a drawing board to a spade in the ground, we need your help for one more push.
What this project means for our club — and our community
The new facility will transform what Rotherfield United can offer. A full-size, floodlit 97m x 61m artificial grass pitch means:
- Football all year round, whatever the weather — no more waterlogged weekends and cancelled fixtures.
- Space for every age group, with line markings for 11v11, 9v9, 7v7 and 5v5, so our youngest mini-kickers and our senior sides can all train and play on a first-class surface.
- More opportunity for girls’ and women’s football, walking football and community use outside of match days.
- A proper home — a brand new pavilion with changing rooms that meet FA and Sport England standards, social space, and somewhere our volunteers and supporters can finally call their own.
This isn’t just about football. It’s about giving Gallowstree Common, Sonning Common and the villages around us a sports facility we can all be proud of, for generations to come.
Where we are today
We’ve already come a long way. Thanks to the fundraising, donations and countless hours given freely by our committee and volunteers, we have raised and invested £45,000 to reach this point. That money has paid for the technical drawings, surveys, pre-application advice, ecology work and consultancy that together make up a fully compliant planning application — the kind of application that a project this size demands.
What happens next
Securing planning permission is a huge milestone, but it’s the starting line, not the finish line. Once approval is granted, we move into the next critical phase:
- Funding partners and community engagement — we’ll work with the Football Foundation, the FA, local authorities and our community to put a robust business plan together.
- Detailed design — turning the planning drawings into the fully specified documents a contractor can build from.
- Competitive tendering — going out to supply chain partners to secure the best value for every pound we spend.
To unlock that next stage, we need to raise a further estimated £25,000. Here’s exactly where it goes:
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Funding consultant to support our Football Foundation bid | £5,000 |
| VAT consultant | £4,000 |
| South Oxfordshire District Council legal costs | £5,000 |
| SODC fees to monitor biodiversity net gain works offsetting the development | £10,000 |
| Total | £25,000 |
Every one of these costs is essential. A specialist funding consultant dramatically increases our chances of landing a significant Football Foundation grant — potentially worth many times the £5k it costs to appoint them. The VAT advice protects the club financially on a build of this scale. The Council fees are simply the price of doing things properly, and our commitment to biodiversity net gain means the project leaves the local environment in a better state than it found it.
Every one of these costs is essential. A specialist funding consultant dramatically increases our chances of landing a significant Football Foundation grant — potentially worth many times the £5k it costs to appoint them. The VAT advice protects the club financially on a build of this scale. The Council fees are simply the price of doing things properly, and our commitment to biodiversity net gain means the project leaves the local environment in a better state than it found it.
How you can help
Fundraising initiatives are coming soon — and we need everyone. Whether you can donate, sponsor, volunteer, spread the word, or simply turn up and take part, every contribution moves us closer. Keep an eye on the website and our social channels over the coming weeks as we launch the next wave of events and appeals.
If you run a local business and would like to talk about sponsorship, or you’d like to make a personal contribution, please get in touch with the club — we’d love to hear from you.
Thank you
To everyone who has backed Rotherfield United on the journey so far — thank you. We wouldn’t be standing on the edge of something this exciting without you. Let’s go one more mile together and take our club to the next level.
