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PICTURE: Stoke Poges and Sandhurst Town, currently first and second in Division One, will meet in a East Berkshire League Showcase Match at the Racecourse Ground in Ascot on Saturday 11 March (7pm KO).
The East Berkshire Football League is delighted to announce the return of the Showcase Match event and in partnership with Ascot United Football Club.
The Racecourse Ground in Ascot will host two key matches in March 2023, a Division One top-of-the-table clash between leaders, Stoke Poges, and title rivals, Sandhurst Town, on Saturday 11th March, before Old Windsor Reserves meet Chalvey Sports in the Quarter Finals to the Ascot & Fielden Cup on Saturday 18th March (both 7pm KOs).
The Showcase Match provides EBFL member Clubs with a rare opportunity to play inside some of the best non-league stadiums in Berkshire, with Arbour Park in Slough, the 1878 Stadium in Burnham and Stag Meadow in Windsor all used to present local football talent last season.
The EBFL would like to thank everyone involved with Ascot United F.C. for the opportunity to host these matches, and we hope that both mouth-watering games will attract spectators, both old and new, to The Racecourse Ground.
Old Windsor Reserves manager Laurence Chetwynd, said: “It’s a big thing for our League to be putting these games on. Everyone involved in our first team Showcase Matches against Singh Sabha last season really enjoyed it, and it helps put local football on the map.
“Our lads will be really keen to put on a good show, hopefully in front of a big crowd, in what we expect to be a really tough game against Premier Division opposition.”
Sandhurst Town have been one of the most improved teams so far in the EBFL this season and will make their Showcase Match debuts this March. Their manager, Jordan Goodall, explained: “The return of the Showcase Match is massive boost for the League. It’s also a great opportunity to promote ourselves to the public and to get more people involved with the League.
“For Sandhurst Town F.C., it’s one of the ‘not everyday you get to do this’ moments. It will give the boys the chance to really show what they are about, and also bring friends and family together to support the team.”
PICTURE: Old Windsor Reserves will take on Chalvey Sports as a Showcase Match in the Quarter Finals of the Ascot & Fielden Cup at the Racecourse Ground in Ascot on Saturday 18th March (7pm KO).
Stoke Poges boast a 100 per-cent record in Division One so far this season, and beat Premier Division champions, Britwell, in a Showcase Match last term, and Goodall stated it would be a ‘dream come true’ if Sandhurst good leave Ascot with all three points.
He added: “A win would be a huge stamping point on what we want to achieve this season. Stoke Poges are a fantastic side and very well drilled. For us to take three points off them would be huge in the way that we could take this title race to the end. In front of all the fans as well, it will be one of those dream come true moments. To win in front of all our friends and families would be such a surreal feeling.”
Entry into the Showcase Matches is four pounds for adults, and one pound for both concessions and Under 18s. Matchday programmes will also be available for one pound. The bar and cafe, serving hot and cold food, inside the Racecourse Ground will be open to spectators (card only inside the ground).
Chalvey Sports have improved since the start to the New Year and will no about be targeting a win against Old Windsor Reserves in the Ascot & Fielden Cup quarters for a return to the Racecourse Ground for the Final in May.
Chalvey club secretary, Craig Howard, said: “The Showcase Match is a fantastic idea and we were privileged to be a part of one last season when we played Harts Of Bracknell in Burnham. It’s just a fantastic event and we had a really good turn out in that game, lots of people coming through the doors, so it’s a huge advert for the East Berkshire League.
“We’re very lucky to again be a part of a Showcase Match and this one is a Cup tie. It’s great playing Cup ties in front of a big crowd in a stadium and on a good pitch.
“It would mean a lot for the Club as we’ve had a little bit of a difficult year, and it would be great to progress into the next round of the Cup. And it’s always good to win under the lights on a carpet of a pitch, in front of, hopefully, quite a few fans - we can’t wait!”.
To enter the East Berkshire Football League ahead of the 2023/24 season, or for further information about the league, or an entry form for the upcoming season, please email the team at contactebfl@gmail.com
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