Eversley FC have been awarded a grant by the BT Community Champions award scheme. BT Community Champions awards BT people with funding on behalf of local community groups, charities and organisations where they work on a voluntary basis.

Following the second review in 2010/11, funding has been allocated to a variety of groups who demonstrated how the award would make a difference to their group and benefit their local community. Eversley FC has been granted a donation towards improving first aid and rehabilitation facilities at the club.

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The presentation Included a tour of stadium; award winners were allowed onto the pitch (where they were preparing for the NFL match on Sunday spraying 600 litres of paint!); met the grounds staff; useful info about the history and the change from ‘lay & play’ to the current surface which is a ‘Desso’ surface comprising 200mm long plastic grass stitched in – ratio is 97% grass/3% plastic.

Attached is an extract from the England v Montenegro game programme publicising the awards; you will see EFC was highly commended in Step 5&6, quite an achievement really from all the Step 5&6 clubs in England. First to Third get a cup, but Dave picked up a framed certificate which will be put up in the Changing Block for all visitors to see.

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The new £2m Eversley Sports Association centre has been opened to the public.

The 12-acre complex - converted from water-filled, exhausted quarries and waste land - now includes two full-size and eight junior-sized football pitches; a cricket square and outdoor nets; a large pavilion with changing rooms, bar and catering facilities; an indoor cricket training centre, including nets; and a sports and athletics field.

The opening comes more than 12 years after initial meetings were held between a number of local sports clubs and building materials company CEMEX, to explore the possibility of leasing some of CEMEX’s unused land to establish additional sports facilities for the area.

As a result of the negotiations, the Eversley Sports Association (ESA) was born - formed by the Eversley Cricket Club, Eversley Football Club, CJFC and the Eversley Parish Council.

Together with California Junior Football Club, the Parish Council, and the many partners in the community, the ESA has raised £2m to finance the construction of the project - including a £666,000 grant from the Football Foundation.

Michael Slater the chairman of ESA, said: “This is the largest social infrastructure project in Eversley since the building of the Charles Kingsley’s school over 150 years ago.

“It will have a very significant impact on our community for the next half century and we sincerely thank CEMEX and the Football Foundation our two principal partners for making this possible,”

On the up: Eversley are set for life in the Combined Counties League after winning the Surrey Elite League last season.

WHILE sides such as Binfield and Ascot United have been taking the plaudits around the local football scene this season, one team has been quietly writing its own success story.

Eversley, under the guidance of manager James Griffin, won the inaugural Surrey Elite League in thrilling fashion thanks to a goal scored with just eight minutes of the season remaining.

Add to that the League Cup, which is also sitting proudly in the club’s trophy cabinet, and it has been a season to remember for everyone involved with The Boars.

And with the club moving back to Eversley this summer after a nomadic few years which has seen it based in places such as Camberley and Farnham, things have never looked better.

Griffin said: “It’s an exciting time for everyone involved with the club.

“Last season was a real rollercoaster. With eight minutes to go the title was going elsewhere, but we got a goal and took the trophy.

“Now we have to start focusing on next season. We’re in a new league and we’re moving into a new home.

“Three years ago we were playing in the Aldershot Senior League so we have come a long way in a short space of time. It’s great for the club.”

Last season’s title win means that Eversley will be playing their football in the Combined Counties League. And they will be doing it in a brand new ground which has been built at a cost of more than £1.4 million.

In 1999 the club joined forces with Eversley Cricket Club and California Boys FC to form the Eversley Sports Association (ESA). The aim of the ESA was to develop the wasteland behind the existing cricket pitch.

Plans were drawn up to build a senior pitch for level six football (Combined Counties standard), an additional pitch, several junior pitches, an additional cricket square, indoor cricket nets, an astroturf facility and a new changing block.

The project received a grant of £666,556 from the Football Foundation in January 2007 and the rest of the money has been raised through fundraising generated by the ESA and local businesses.

The club’s return to Eversley will bring to an end a period which has seen it play on numerous council owned pitched around the surrounding areas over the past eight years.

Griffin said: “It will be great news for everybody. We’ve had so many home pitches over the years. We’ve played at Camberley and Farnham, we’ve been all over the place.

“It will be nice to have somewhere to really call home, especially as it’s in the village as well. We’re a fairly localised side, most of the lads live within four or five miles of the ground. It’s another example of the club moving forward.”

Following last season’s title win and promotion, Griffin has already started planning for life in the Combined Counties League.

He is confident his current squad will be able to handle the step up, but admits he will need to bring in a few experienced new faces to bolster the numbers.

“I have an excellent squad of players,” he said. “But I think we need to toughen up a bit as we’re moving up a standard.

“I’ll be looking to bring in maybe three or four new players to improve things. Technically we’re already very good but you need more than that at this level.

“We’ve got a fairly young squad, I think the average age is about 23 so we could do with a bit more experience. A couple of senior players will improve the squad.”

After the heroics of last season, which saw the title won on the final day thanks to a 1-0 win over Battersea Ironsides, many people would excuse Eversley a period of consolidation as they adjust to life in the Combined Counties League.

But Griffin will not accept that and say his team will have enough quality to cause some real surprises once things kick off in August.

He said: “We’ll approach this season in a similar manner to last year.

“Nobody is expecting us to achieve anything so there’s no pressure on us. That can work in our favour.

“It’s a big change for the players to take on board, but as long as they adapt the same attitude and work ethic I think we will do well.

“We’re going into the unknown which is very exciting. It’s a big step up but I’m confident we can handle it.”

* If you’re a senior player who has played to a high level and are interested in joining Eversley call James Griffin on 07831 280093.