AFTER years of rumours and wrangling it looks as though Worcester City FC's dream of a new stadium is to become a reality.

As we revealed first on our website yesterday afternoon, the planned new £8 million stadium at Nunnery Way will have a 6,000 capacity.

It will meet Football League requirements and could be the catalyst for the club reaching the professional ranks for the first time in its history.

Many City fans will no doubt view the latest announcement of a deal between the football club and developers St Modwen Properties with a certain degree of scepticism.

We understand their feelings.

A new ground to replace the 102-year-old St George's Lane venue has been a pipe dream for well over a decade.

Supporters have seen several false dawns in that time.

This, however, seems to be the real deal.

The clincher is what is known as the enabling development - commercial use of land around the 7.5-acre new stadium that gives the club vital non-football income, and allows the developer to make money from the remaining 12.5 acres of land around the stadium.

There is, of course, still some way to go. A planning application has to be approved early next year.

But there is every chance that the city will be playing at a new purpose-built home in time for the start of the 2009/10 season.

And that is news that we welcome as will sports fans from across the city.