PETERSFIELD Town Juniors Football Club has outlined ambitious plans for the future as its popularity and membership continue to soar. The Love Lane-based club is currently negotiating a deal to use three extra pitches at Penns Place until the end of the year to accommodate the 300 children who play in 20 teams every week. And in the long term, club officials are eyeing a number of other far-reaching projects, using the town's rugby club as a blueprint for success. Over the next 10 years it could mean: • Attracting anything up to £1m from the Football Association in match funding; • Extending the Taro Leisure centre at Penns Place for extra changing rooms; • Resurfacing the car park at the club's Love Lane headquarters; • Opening a £10,000 mini-pitch at Love Lane in 2007/8. Town Juniors chairman Ian Essai unveiled the club's vision at a meeting of Petersfield Town Council's grounds committee last week. He said the organisation had become so popular that a set of short-term, medium-term and long- term aims had been created. Like the rugby club, he added, success depended on increased interaction with the community and making youth football a binding social influence in the town. He was also keen to forge stronger links with the senior team. "The growth of Petersfield Town Juniors Football Club over the past six years has resulted in the club establishing a growth strategy which needs to be in line with the council's plans," he told the meeting. "Community work is key for the club's future success. Winning is enjoyable, but playing a vital part in the community is much more important. "Town juniors is very much a community club. Football should be for everyone and the club wants it to be fun for players of all ages and standards." In the short term, Mr Essai hopes to re-establish Love Lane as the home of Town juniors and re- open the popular "tuck" shop for parents and supporters – an important source of income for the club. But the most exciting plans are set to take place in the longer term, over the next three to 10 years. The club wants to redevelop its Love Lane home car park and is also investigating the possibility of an extension to The Taro Centre for changing facilities and store rooms to cater for 11-a-side teams playing at Penns Place. Major match funding of up to £1m is also available on account of the club's high accreditation under the FA charter status programme. More could be accessed from lottery funds. A further objective of creating a football "career line" to the senior team in Petersfield is also being explored. Grounds committee chairman Chris Jenner was enthusiastic about the club's plan. He said: "I would like to see you get more successful, and I think you can do it as well. "I don't think we can have any problems recommending this to finance and general purposes. "We all welcome the forward thinking of the club and will do everything we can to work together to make it successful." After the meeting, Paul Molloy – the council representative for the club – said it was "inconceivable" that football in the town would fail to flourish. He said: "The next close partnership to work on is with the senior club, and I know Ian Essai has already started that ball rolling. "My own view on Town Juniors' aspirations is that our timing, in terms of it fitting in with the future development and management of the town as a whole, and the development of football in Petersfield in particular, could not be better – and all the elements needed to succeed are lining up rather well. "Nevertheless, experience tells me that the road ahead will be long and hard and, at times, hugely frustrating. "However, with the abundant skills and energy I've seen running the Town Juniors, it is inconceivable that football in Petersfield and the development of Love Lane generally cannot dramatically improve. "I have a vision – I'm sure we all have – and we really do have the ability to make it happen." • A funding decision on whether to allow the club to continue playing at Penns Place for the rest of the season at a cost of £400 was due to have been made on Thursday. The longer-term aspirations of Town juniors is set to be discussed at February's town council grounds committee.
