ONCE a leading force in soccer in the north Cotswolds, Campden Town FC is no more, writes Mervyn Collins.

The former members of the Gloucestershire County and Northern Senior Leagues, the Recreation Ground club folded two seasons ago after finishing runners-up in the Stratford Alli-ance.

And, now after a second barren season at the ground, club officials have decided to up their goal posts and plant them at their new surroundings at Ebrington Road and hopefully rise up as Campden Sports Club alongside the cri-cket and hockey clubs.

Town chairman David Gabb said: "An initial meting decided that this was the best move to enable us to attempt to get the football section up and running again."

The changing facilities at the Recreation Gro-und are scheduled for demolition while work at the club's new home is expected to get under way soon to drain a small area and produce a full-size football and hockey pitch.

"The hockey club has been homeless for many years but has used the cricket club as its base," Gabb explained. "The idea is involve everyone within the sports club and hopefully obtain some funding from the Campden Trust."

The financial cost involved was the chief reason for the demise of Campden Town and, once players started to disappear to other local clubs, it was difficult to attract them back.

"The infrastructure is in place at the new site," the chairman revealed. "We hope to hold an inaugural meeting later this month to discuss the future when we can hopefully put in place plans to start a new open age side next season."

The club still runs a junior side and it is hoped to run a kids club on Saturdays but the rebirth of a senior side is the chairman's ultimate aim and he is hoping that former players and the people of Chipping Campden will support the new venture and put the club back on the local football map.