Enfield Town FC need to add more seating and new turnstiles to comply with minimum requirements for the National League

Advertising hoardings at the QE2 Stadium — The north stand is set to be replaced

Enfield Town FC have almost hit the halfway mark in their efforts to raise the £35,000 they need to fund a range of stadium improvements.

The Towners won promotion to the National League South in May when they won the Isthmian Premier Division Playoff Final, but the victory meant that the club now needed to meet a set of stringent criteria from the league in terms of accommodating more fans.

The club has until the end of March next year to comply with the rules from the National League on things such as seating capacity and segregation of home and away fans, so has to move fast to raise the money it needs – which runs into six figures.

At the fan-owned club’s members’ meeting last month, it was agreed that a new 400-seat north stand would be built at The Dave Bryant Stadium. The seats in the current stand would be removed and the stands re-sited behind each goal, improving the covered standing available. The new stand is also set to have a TV gantry and wheelchair spaces.

The club has access to grant funding that will contribute up to 70% for the new stand and 50% for the three new turnstiles it needs to build, but started crowdfunding campaign earlier this month to help raise the remainder of the money needed.

The target is £35,000 and so far the club has raised more than £17,000 in both online and offline donations.

As well as football the stadium in Donkey Lane – officially known as the Queen Elizabeth II Stadium but currently renamed in honour of its founding chairman – serves athletics, school sports days and community events.

Find out more and contribute to the crowdfunder:
Visit crowdfunder.co.uk/p/etfc-home-improvements/backers#start

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