Scholars bring in some long-term tenants

Potters Bar Town have announced that Enfield, these days in Pitching In Southern League Division One Central, will be moving into their Lantern Stadium in the summer, after agreeing a decade-long groundshare. 

In a statement, which you can read here, Director Adam Waller explained:

“We are incredibly proud of the facilities we now have, including a state-of-the-art pitch, and it was important to us that we shared that with a suitable club — one we could genuinely work with both on and off the pitch.

"From my conversations with Lee, it was a no-brainer. When we met with their board, we immediately felt the sense of community and the real non-league club environment they want to create. That mirrors exactly what we value and work hard to deliver at Potters Bar Town.

"We were very clear that we didn’t want this to feel like just a groundshare agreement. We wanted a club that would come in, make the facilities their home, and be part of the wider club environment.

"We also fully understand that Enfield FC’s long-term plan is to find their own permanent home, and we respect that ambition. As part of this partnership, we will help and support them wherever possible to make that dream a real reality for their fans. Until then, we want them to feel that this is their home in every sense.”

Enfield Chair Steve Whittington told the E's supporters:

'It is with absolute delight that Enfield FC have secured a much valued long term groundshare agreement with our friends at Potters Bar Football Club, this sees the E's return to the Enfield catchment area with the Potters Bar ground having an EN6 postcode. The club has agreed and signed a ten year deal with an agreement that when we find our own piece of land that we can build on and call home we will be released from our deal. 

Just to assure the Enfield fans, we are determined to have our own ground, and in the past weeks Gerry Hanning our secretary has been having meetings and phone conversations with the F.A and local council members which could possibly prove fruitful in the near future. We are well aware that these matters take time but we are on it!. 

The first meeting with everyone at Potters Bar Football Club was absolutely fantastic, genuinely lovely people who have the same values as all of us at Enfield Football Club, I like to think of it as old school values, play your football but treat others the same way as you would wish to be treated and we certainly feel we are at the right place with the right people. 

The stadium boasts a new 4G surface, a large new car park and a well maintained bar and outside seating area. We have been told to treat our agreement as a partnership which we will do, Potters Bar will be good for us and we will be good for Potters Bar. Both clubs have a testing few months ahead on the field to maintain our positions in our current leagues. We hope both clubs are successful but whatever the outcome this is a massive step in the right direction for the E's.'