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PICTURE: (left-right) Slough Town Cup competition Secretary, Steve Law, Slough Town Football Club C.E.O Ashley Smith, Slough Town Cup competition Chairman Colin Coombs, and E.B.F.L General Secretary Robert Stevens with the Premier Cup silverware at the Arbour Park Stadium in Slough.
Slough Town Football Club is delighted to announce that the Slough Town Challenge Cup competition finals will return to the heart of the town, thanks to a new partnership.
The Slough Town Cup Finals have been held outside the town since 1999 but will, this season, make a long-awaited return as part of Slough Town FC’s new Football in the Community project.
The Easter highlights of the 2024/25 season, and for at least the next three years, will be played at Arbour Park Stadium. The Premier Cup Final will be held on Good Friday morning, with the Junior Cup Final following on the evening of the next Wednesday.
Colin Coombs, Chairman of the Slough Town Challenge Cup Competition, commented: “We are delighted to renew our relationship with Slough Town FC after a gap of 25 years. We wish to thank Burnham FC, who have done an excellent job in hosting our finals. We look forward to working with Ashley and his team over the next three years.”
The idea of the Slough Town Challenge Cup was conceived and inaugurated in 1923 by Mr A. E. Payne, then Chairman of Slough FC, to recognise that the juniors of today could well be the senior stars of the future.
PICTURE: Slough Town C.E.O Ashley Smith, left, and slough Town Cup competition Chairman Colin Coombs, right, have agreed a deal for the two competition Finals to be played at the Arbour Park stadium for the next three years at least.
Now, more than 100 years later, Ashley Smith, CEO of Slough Town FC, will welcome back the Slough Town Challenge Cup to the home of The Rebels after a 23-year hiatus.
He explained: “I’m absolutely delighted that, after a long spell, the Slough Town Cup will be returning home. The cup has a long and meaningful history associated with this football club. It is also a prestigious competition for its members, so for us to stage the finals once again is extremely exciting for the local and wider community.
“The agreement sees us host the finals for a minimum of the next three years at Arbour Park, so we can look forward to enhancing the competition with the committee.”
The number of entries has increased this season compared to the previous year, with 12 teams set to contest the Premier Cup and 13 sides competing for the Junior Cup. It is hoped that a return to the heart of Slough will encourage even more entries in the years to come.
Robert Stevens, General Secretary of the East Berkshire Football League, proudly added: “The EBFL has long been a supporter of the Slough Town Challenge Cup, and we’re delighted that the majority of our membership has once again chosen to enter this fantastic competition.
PICTURE: The Slough Town Premier Cup Final will be played at the Arbour Park Stadium on Good Friday (18 April, 10.30am kick off). The Junior Cup Final will take place at the home of Slough Town on Wednesday 23 April (7.30pm kick off).
“The EBFL is in the middle of a three-year plan to stabilise and regrow after a few tough post-Coronavirus years, so news that Slough Town FC has moved to return the Challenge Cup Finals to the town is incredible and will only be positive for everyone involved.
“We cannot thank Ashley Smith and the whole team at Slough Town enough for reaching out to and throwing their support behind Saturday adult grassroots football within Slough and its surrounding areas.
“We have no doubt that all the entries this season will now work incredibly hard to earn the right to play in a final at Arbour Park, such an incredible stadium, and that the two finals will already be marked on the calendars of supporters of adult grassroots football.”
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