New facilities will help attract players and supporters

Jimmy Bennett believes Cookham Dean’s new facilities at Long Lane will have a great impact on the club and its ability to attract new players and supporters.

In February, the club secured the approval of new pitches and a modern pavilion, including changing amenities, which will be based in Lower Mount Farm.

Chairman Bennett says the additional resources will offer a real step forward for Dean who for more than 140 years have been bringing grassroots football to the local communities in Cookham.

“It will take a while to get everything in place, but going forward, it’s definitely looking like we’re going to have a much nicer place to play football,” said Bennett.

“We’re looking to improve the club, not only for the first team but for the junior teams aswell and make it more attractive for footballers to come and play for us.

“The better facilities you’ve got, the better players you attract, don’t you?

“It will be a great place for supporters too.

“I presume we will do the same as Holyport and charge a small fee for admission, but it will help fund a great environment for fans.

“We’ll have a bar so they can have a coffee, a bit of lunch and some refreshments before or after the game. It will be a nice set up.”

Formed in 1879, Cookham Dean are the third oldest club in the Berks and Bucks FA behind Maidenhead United and Marlow FC, and although they are immensely proud of their traditions, Bennett says the club is looking to the future.

“We were getting into an awful lot of problems at the Alfred Major, and we just feel the club has outgrown it with the number of teams we’ve got now,” said Bennett.

“We just don’t have the parking or the facilities at the current ground where we are.

“There is not even enough space for the kids. At the new ground, we’re hoping to have two full size pitches, a training pitch and a couple of junior pitches. It will just make life so much easier, for training, for parking, for everything.”