Spennymoor Town request to play first four league games away

Spennymoor Town have requested to play their first four National League North fixtures of the season away from home due to ground improvements.
Brewery Field has undergone a number of changes during the summer and Spenny want to have some extra time to allow the improvements to bed in.
A new pitch has been laid and further developments have taken place at the South end of the ground. New terracing is being installed behind the goal, replacing the current terrace, which has been in place for more than 100 years. There is also a new turnstile due to be installed.
This will be followed by the erection of a new covered stand behind the goal and potentially a modular club house on the site of the current car park, where the former club house stood. The new Football League-standard pitch will also be surrounded by a new metal perimeter fence.
Because of the significance of the improvements taking place and the severe weather during June, which delayed works by ten days, the club has requested for the first four games of the 2019/20 season to be played away from home.
The National League fixtures will be released today (July 3) at 1pm.
Managing director Tony Wilson said: “I’d like to thank everyone who has been involved in our new pitch, which we’re all very excited about.
“On the advice of our agronomist, we’ve requested our first four games, which will probably be over a three-week period, to be played away from home. This would give the pitch ample time to bed in.
“The other works wouldn’t affect games being played as we could close certain parts of the ground to allow completion whilst games are on. However, the pitch needs to be right.
“The decision on whether to grant us this request now lies with the league, who have been extremely supportive of our ambitious plans for the ground to date.
“I realise this might seem inconvenient for supporters, but it is a necessary evil to get the stadium to a level that we need to move the club onwards. I’d expect that most people will understand the importance of getting the pitch up-to-scratch, given the recent postponements it has caused over the last two years.
“I’d like to thank everyone for their support, our Groundsman Mark for his hard work so far and the various volunteers who have given their time to the club over the summer.
“We’re into the final week of season ticket applications. We’ve done well so far, but we still need more people to buy-in. If anyone is on the fence about whether to take the plunge, I’d urge them to come and join us on our journey at what has become the best value-for-money football club to support in the North East.
“We’ve done our part by improving the squad; investing heavily in the ground; and improving the match day experience. It’s time for the football fans of Spennymoor, County Durham and the North East to do theirs and help propel this club onwards and upwards.”