It is with regret that despite working for the past week, we are unable to welcome you back into the Draper Tools Community Stadium for our Vanarama National League South fixture against Hemel Hempstead Town tonight, Wednesday evening. 

Our staff have worked incredibly hard to ensure that the ground is COVID secure, which includes the introduction of a new entry and exit system, addition of over 40 sanitisation areas and safe seating areas. 

Not only do they have to prepare this, but they have also ensured that everything completed inside the ground has met the ever changing requirements of Government guidelines. 

The club would also like to thank the local Safety Advisory Group, who have offered support and given the ground approval to welcome supporters back. 

We await approval from the National League but despite the club having undertaken everything possible to get fans in tonight, we feel for your safety that we should be guided by the League and look to open the stadium this Saturday.

We will continue to work with the National League to be ready to welcome you back for Saturday’s game against Chelmsford City. 

As many of you will be aware, we have hosted numerous games this season for Portsmouth Women FC and Clanfield FC. This shows that we are ready, and hope that this Saturday will see a different story. 

Our staff will be sending season ticket holders details on how to stream tonight’s fixture this morning via email, and we hope that we see you all (who feel safe enough to do so) at the weekend. 

Derek Pope

Chairman