The plans for the new facility at Mill Chase Recreation Ground have been in the pipeline for the last six years, and a number of designs have been on the drawing board during that time, but problems including funding and new building regulations led to the wait.
The project, which will cost hundreds of thousands of pounds, was developed by Whitehill Town Council which is financing it along with the Football Foundation, Wey Valley Youth Football Club and East Hampshire District Council.
Under the plans, the existing pavilion will be demolished and a new facility built in its place. Four disabled accessible changing rooms will be provided, and there is a possibility of a further two in the future. 40 car parking spaces will also be provided to serve the facility.
The building work is to be undertaken by C and G Building Contractors of Widley, and on Monday the town council signed the contract to allow work to commence.
The council's finance and policy committee chairman Don Mayes paid tribute to former mayor Basil Smith, now deceased, who had done a great deal of work when the scheme was in the early stages.
"Basil Smith, together with the town council, carried this thing through to get something off the ground and it is only in the last year that we have made any progress," he said.
"If it wasn't for his input in this we probably would not be where we are today."
Geraldine Meeson agreed and added: "I propose that we sign it as soon as possible."
Speaking after the meeting, Tony Hutchings, the district council's consultant architect,, told The Herald that the new pavilion should be ready to use before Easter next year.
"It was first designed in 1998, so it has been six years coming," he said.
"It has gone through various changes in that time because building regulations have changed in that time and then, of course, there are the requirements of various funding bodies that need to be met. At the very least, the new Disability Discrimination Act has resulted in larger disabled toilets.
"But work is set to start next week and, subject to weather, should be finished before Easter."
Mr Hutchings said four changing rooms would be provided in the pavilion initially but there was provision for a further two when funding was available. He said this would also require an extra 20 car parking spaces.
The pavilion scheme also involved a new drainage system being installed for the two existing full-sized pitches and three mini soccer pitches. This was completed last year.
The old system had failed, resulting in the pitches being unplayable for the bulk of the winter months in the three seasons preceding the commencement of the works.
Nigel Welch, chairman of Wey Valley Youth Football Club and treasurer of Wey Valley Football Club for adults, told The Herald that the pavilion and drainage works would be a tremendous boost to all users of the recreation ground.
"The drainage works, completed in 2003, have had almost a year to settle down and this period along with other surface reconstitution works has left the ground in good condition with a lush covering of grass," he said.
"Three mini soccer pitches, one junior pitch and one larger adult pitch will see the ground return to being the area's main football facility and one which all the users will welcome using again.
"Having seen the new drainage system being constructed and installed, everyone has high hopes that it will ensure that the pitches remain 'playable' through the bulk of the winter months - something which was not possible due to extensive flooding for the three seasons preceding the commencement of the work.
"With everyone concerned having worked so hard and for so long to raise the finance to improve the surface and the drainage, it will of course be important to see a suitable grounds maintenance programme introduced to help keep the ground in tip-top condition."
Mr Welch said the club could not wait for the new pavilion to be built, which would complete the project.
He said: "While it would have been ideal for the new pavilion to be ready to coincide with the start of the season, the reasons for the delay were substantially beyond the control of the town council and in truth but for the extraordinary efforts of the town clerk, her team and the councillors, this aspect of the project might well have been deferred for much longer.
"The ultimate completion of this long awaited facility will be a massive boost to the area's footballing community and will for the first time see Bordon and Whitehill's facilities match, and in a lot of cases exceed, those of the clubs our area's teams visit on their away games.
"There will no more embarrassment and apologies to our opponents for the shabby and dilapidated condition of our facilities. I can't wait!"