Bexhill’s grounds for optimism

Club chairman Bill Harrison expects the Pirates to be able to play Division One football next season if they finish in one of Division Two’s three promotion places this term.

He said: “They (the ground grading committee) are going to recommend to the FA we get a G grading on the proviso we do a few small jobs that need doing, which I will do.

“I need to speak to the council (Rother District Council owns The Polegrove - which Bexhill use for home games) on one or two little things, but I can’t see there being a problem.”

The G grade is the requirement for Division Two and the F grade is needed for Division One.

“Once we get this G grade and if we can get promotion, it allows us a year’s grace to get the work done for Division One,” added Harrison.

One key issue facing Bexhill is possessing hard standing around three sides of the pitch. There has always been a concrete path along the southern side and this season the club has laid a temporary material behind the eastern goal on matchdays, enabling it to play in the FA Vase for the first time.

Bexhill are now in the process of submitting drawings to the council for a path behind the western goal.