THE FOOTBALL Conference have rejected a request from Hayes & Yeading to play a block of away games at the start of the season as they rush to get the Sharda Glass Community Stadium ready.
Hayes & Yeading officials made an approach to the Conference after admitting last week that they are unsure whether they will be able to start the campaign at their new home in Beaconsfield Road.
Should the club fail to get the ground up to the National Ground Grading Category B standard before the Blue Square South season kicks off, Hayes & Yeading will be playing their opening matches back at Woking’s Kingfield stadium.
Building work can continue while league games get underway in Woking and United will be permitted to move into the Sharda once the ground grading standards are met and an inspection of the venue has been carried out.
General manager at the Football Conference, Dennis Strudwick, told the Gazette: “I was asked if I would schedule more away games than home games [at the start of the season] but that doesn’t work.
“They haven’t told us their ground is ready for inspection yet, I think under the circumstances, with the club moving to a new ground, it would be permissible for them to move into their ground when it’s ready.”
Hayes & Yeading were approached directly by the Gazette for a comment on the situation but had failed to respond at the time of going to press.
The club did post an update on their official website on Monday evening but did not reveal whether the new stadium would be ready for the new season.
