Making ground

Fans all over the country vented their frustration as endless streams of public cash were poured into the venue, which was finished long overtime and well over-budget.

But instead of calling in Australian firm Multiplex to rebuild the home of English football, perhaps the Football Association should have paid a visit to Sturminster Marshall.

Here it takes five or six people just three hours to put the club's Churchill Close ground together for every Dorset Premier League home clash. Each game is a logistical nightmare, as goals, advertising hoardings and metal barriers have to be assembled from scratch.

However, the iconic sight, which sets this village team apart, is the faithful old Massey Ferguson tractor towing the home and away dugouts into position on the halfway line. The old girl then plods back to Bailey Gate Industrial Estate to pick up the three covered spectator stands, which keep the 50 or so Churchill Close regulars dry.

These unique images have made Marshall a subject of fascination among non-league enthusiasts all over the country. Almost 200 of them turned out in force at the club's recent home clash with Cobham Sports last month. The touring party arrived in Dorset as part of the DPL's ground hop programme.

This allows non-league fans from across Britain to travel the country and get a flavour of its most weird and wonderful venues.

And manager Kevin Bowmer is proud to look on as tourists pose for photos under the unique constructions.

"I call them anoraks but not cruelly because these guys are the lifeblood of our game," he said. "The first fan to arrive had driven from Lincoln and had left home at 3.30am to get to us - it's great to see their commitment."

Marshall enjoy a picturesque location, right at the heart of their village. Their pitch doubles as the village green and residents have come to expect players jumping over their front garden walls to retrieve a lost ball or two. But the club's situation has hit them in the coffers.

Bowmer explained: "On a normal game, we probably have about 50 people watching us. But being on the village green means it would be impossible to charge for admission, which is a shame.

"This makes it very difficult to compete financially because we don't have an income. We go to places like Portland, where they have the facility to charge and if they get a crowd of 50, they're making £200. All we can do is try and flog everybody a programme - that's about it."

Despite the huge work involved in bringing Dorset Premier football to Churchill Close following their promotion two years ago, the club is considering expanding beyond the confines of their current venue.

Bowmer's team has acquired a plot of land within the village, which they may look to develop within the coming years. However, the manager claims his side's immediate future still lies on the green.

He added: "We wouldn't want to move the team away from Churchill Close but what we do want is a floodlit training facility. It's going to take us two or three years to develop that, but when we do, we'll really move forward, as we can rent it out and get some cash.

"Another issue for us is that some clubs are unable to move on into the Wessex League be-cause they can't get planning permission for floodlights. How-ever, if we get into that position, we will have the land available and would be able to go up.

Bowmer is determined to ensure his side is not just famous for an old Massey Ferguson sat on the touchline and not to be written off as the DPL's small village tractor boys!