Council helps Frome Town FC
Last year South Somerset district Council stepped in to help Yeovil Town. They purchased the land and buildings at Huish Park to secure the future of the football club. COVID has not been kind to sports clubs. With no spectators for much of 2020, deprived of income and fixtures, clubs have had a hard time. With little income, many of the outgoings have been constant. Some have had government grants, most are in recovery mode.
Today Frome Town Council have also stepped in to help their local team, Frome Town FC. The Robins as they are known, have a men’s team that play in the Southern League Division 1 South. They also have a women’s team, a development academy and a powerchair football team too.
Their ground, renamed The Robins’ Nest, is at Berkley Road, Frome and was previously mortgaged. And it was to what Frome Town Councillor Mel Usher, describes as “an out-of-town lender”. Frome Town Council have now stepped in to safeguard the future of the club. The mortgage secured against the football ground has been paid off by the Town Council. In return they will have the option to buy the ground for £1 at any point over the next twelve months.
The deal is described as “worth £300,000”. Having secured the ground, the Town Council now intend to work with the football club on a new business plan. One that can be put in place to benefit both the club and the wider community. The Town Council acknowledge that the site as a football ground requires investment. Many of the buildings and structures need renovation or replacement. Mel Usher says “Possibilities for the future include a community buy out, maximising the site usage and significant grant applications for improvements.”
Frome Town Council have acted in a similar way in the past to secure the Cheese and Grain venue in the town. However Cllr Usher is clear “Frome Town Council does not want to own or run a football club. This is a holding situation on the land and ground and sometime in the not-too-distant future we would anticipate our investment being returned.“