Daniels prepare for emotional send-off

EVO-STIK Northern Premier League Stamford AFC are looking forward to bringing down the curtain on 118 years of history on Saturday when they host Rushall Olympic in their final game at Kettering Road before moving into their new home at the Zeeco Stadium.

The gates to Hanson’s Field, the club’s home since 1896, will be permanently shut after the Premier Division clash as they prepare to move to their new purpose-built complex at Borderville for the visit of Nantwich Town in the top flight on Saturday 13 December.

The keys to the new stadium, pictured, were handed over to the Premier Division's Daniels in September following the completion of the building work. While facilities including the 3G pitch and New College Stamford have been in use for over two months, the pitch at the Zeeco Stadium was only given the green light to trigger the move by the Football Association and EVO-STIK NPL last week following pitch inspections.

The Zeeco Stadium will contain several references to the Daniels’ historical home. The end nearest to Ryhall Road will be officially known as The Old Railway End, in a nod to the Kettering Road ground’s Railway Side, while the opposite end, which backs on to the all-weather, 3G pitch, will be known as The New Hedge End, in honour of the hedge that used to surround the club’s previous home.

The changing room side will take its name from the complex’s location, being referred to as the Borderville side, while the opposite side will be known as The Town Side, in reference to locals often referring to the old Hanson’s Field ground as The Town Ground.

Club officials are now asking supporters to attend Saturday’s match dressed in Daniels’ red to create a memorable atmosphere for the final game and ensure they leave their only home so far on a winning note.

Guy Walton, the club’s director of football, said: "I’m sure I speak for everyone at the club when I say that our final match at the Town Ground will be an emotional experience for everyone involved with the club, not least of course for all our wonderful Daniels supporters.

"Just thinking about it evokes memories of victorious matches, depressing defeats, funny and sad moments, individual characters and friends, and I’m sure they will be discussed with fondness over an afternoon that may feel like it lasts a lifetime, but will be over in a flash.

"For myself and many supporters, the view of Stamford Town’s Georgian Collyweston Slate rooftops from our footballing perch is iconic, and will be remembered for a long, long time. It has been a fantastic journey for the club at Hanson’s Field, and we shall miss it dearly while welcoming the fantastic new facility we will be moving to."

Daniels manager David Staff said: "It is going to be a massive day for the club, especially for the fans who have been coming to the ground for decades. I’ll be feeling emotional myself, having played a lot of games for the club at Kettering Road during my playing career.

"The current ground is a wonderful football ground, one that is loved by fans of lots of different non-league clubs, and although we are all sad to be leaving, it is the right move for the club and the new facility at Borderville is absolutely fantastic.

"We have struggled at home this season a little bit, and whether that is because of the uncertainty over the ground I don’t know, but I wish we were on a bit of a better run going in to the final game."

He added: "We will be doing everything we can to get that final victory for the club and the fans because we want to end this part of our history on a high."

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