Long Melford Football Club has been celebrating the opening of their new £700,000 clubhouse.

The club – which is among the oldest in the country with records dating back to 1868 – opened the building on Friday, September 30, after years of work.

The new facilities include FA-standard changing rooms, as well as a bar. And it is hoped the clubhouse will be used by not only club members but the wider local community.

Rob Bowden, vice chairman of the Long Melford Community Sports Trust, said: “The senior side of the club play at a reasonable level – the Thurlow Nunn Premier League – but the clubhouse itself had fallen into a state of disrepair.

“The clubhouse, changing facilities and everything else was really not fit for purpose.

“I called a meeting with the senior club and we said we really need to build a new clubhouse to generate some income and safeguard the future of the club."

Sudbury Mercury: The new changing rooms.The new changing rooms. (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

Sudbury Mercury: The old changing rooms at Long Melford FC.The old changing rooms at Long Melford FC. (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

After securing around £500,000 of funding from the Football Foundation – Babergh District Council, Long Melford Parish Council and the club themselves put more cash into the project managing to raise over £700,000 for the build.

After “hundreds of meetings and thousands of emails" – as well as disruption from Covid just two days into the construction phase – the clubhouse has now opened after "seven or eight years" of work.

Mr Bowden said: “For a village the size of Long Melford and the surrounding community to be able to build something like this was an opportunity we couldn’t walk away from.

“From the football clubs' point of view, they’ve got facilities now that are a match for anything in the area.

“Any successful football club has to involve its community and has to generate money that isn’t from people coming through on the gate.

“That money goes back to a trust whose commitment is to continually improve the facilities.

“So, although this is the catalyst for it all, it’s only really the start."

Olivia Hurley and her father Kevin – both from KHA Architects and Design – designed and oversaw the build.

Sudbury Mercury: The new facility includes a function room to be used by the whole community.The new facility includes a function room to be used by the whole community. (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

Sudbury Mercury: The new bar.The new bar. (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

Sudbury Mercury: Players will be able to enjoy new showers.Players will be able to enjoy new showers. (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

Sudbury Mercury: The old showers.The old showers. (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

Sudbury Mercury: The officials room.The officials room. (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

Sudbury Mercury: The old building at Long Melford FC.The old building at Long Melford FC. (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

Sudbury Mercury: The new building is the product of years of hard work.The new building is the product of years of hard work. (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

Sudbury Mercury: The club is amongst the oldest in the country.The club is amongst the oldest in the country. (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

Sudbury Mercury: Just two days into the construction phase of the project the scheme was delayed by Covid lockdown.Just two days into the construction phase of the project the scheme was delayed by Covid lockdown. (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

Sudbury Mercury: The clubhouse was opened on Friday September 30 after years of hard work.The clubhouse was opened on Friday September 30 after years of hard work. (Image: Contributed)

Sudbury Mercury: The facility will be used by both the senior sides and youth teams.The facility will be used by both the senior sides and youth teams. (Image: Contributed)

Sudbury Mercury: The football club competes in the Thurlow Nunn Premier League.The football club competes in the Thurlow Nunn Premier League. (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)