The regeneration of the town’s premier football venue, the Portway Stadium, took a significant step nearer this week when it was confirmed that the new leaseholders, Andover/Sparsholt College, had been accepted into the Sydenham Wessex League for the new season beginning in August.

It paves the way for the college to apply for the necessary grants needed to update the existing fragile floodlighting system, installed when the ground opened in 1989 and to move ahead with their existing plans to bring a full –time football academy to Andover this summer.

Wessex League secretary John Gorman confirmed that the new club would be playing in a 17 team Division One as Andover Town FC, a name which has never been used before and one designed to appeal to the supporters of the old club.

Gorman told the Advertiser: “The college satisfied the FA and the Hants FA that they could find a suitable ground to stage fixtures in the Wessex League until the Portway was up and running and they have done that as they will play the first two months at the Hants FA ground at Winklebury, in Basingstoke before moving back to Andover.”

They were also told that they had to provide a constitution for the new club and form a committee including a secretary, which they have done.”

It is expected that work on the pitch and ground surrounds will begin shortly to bring it up to playing standard for the first time since it was abandoned in 2011.

With only 15 or 16 home league games scheduled next term the floodlighting is not top priority but it is expected that Football Stadia Improvement grants should be available to the college, who are believed to be close to signing a ten year lease on the ground owned by Test Valley Borough Council.