A Forest of Dean football club that recently cruised past its hundredth anniversary has set its sights on a future-looking expansion after an outline bid was approved for £130,000 worth of much-needed improvements at its ground.

Playing on a wave of success that now sees Newent Town AFC competing in the Hellenic League Division One, vital cash from the Premier League looks set to pave the way for work which, pending detailed approval, should be completed by later this year.

In all, the changes will see two new youth pitches, a new building to house a changing room, fitness room and undercover storage, plus a bigger car parking provision.

Phil Clarke, Club Secretary, told Punchline: "We've been fortunate to be in line for funding through the Football Foundation, a government tie-in with the Premier League and the FA. With the success that we have had on the pitch and the recent doubling of the club's premises, we can't wait to get on with the much-needed improvement for events and the visitor experience."

He added: "The Foundation has come up with a figure of £100,000 and that needs to be used to the value of 70% of the project, which broadly equates to a total spend of £130,000. We have three local building firms who have submitted quotations and while we have not as yet got all of the funds in to get over the line, there is a tremendous momentum with the community support for the club that makes it central to life in Newent."

Key local firms and tradespeople have already stepped forward to help, but the club remains open to funding to help get the project over the line.

Key upgrades for the club, known as "The Daffodils" and based in Hook's Lane, will include a bigger bar area and better catering services within a new facilities building, as well as change of use to adjacent land for new pitches. The work follows on the club, which has been at Hook's Lane since 1980, recently purchasing a 3.5 acre parcel of adjacent farmland which doubled the size of its venue.

The new building will include a hospitality suite, which will make the site suitable as a venue for weddings and anniversaries, while an extended bar and a serving hatch will be created for visitors to access drinks from the pitchside. A roof-top viewing terrace, for hospitality guests on match days, is also being considered.

Mr Clarke added: "We have been surviving with a summer marquee on site for gatherings and parties, but out of season it's freezing."

Herefordshire-based Tomkins Thomas Planning told FoDDC that facility currently comprises the first team pitch with stand and floodlights, the clubhouse and changing rooms, and a parking area. Its report added: "Until August, the football club only provided teams for senior players. In August, the club expanded to provide youth teams and girls' teams. This has led to the need to create new pitches and to provide new changing rooms and fitness equipment."

Mr Clarke added that the impetus for improvements was matched by the club's energy on the pitch: "We are the little guys who are up and coming. The success of the last five years in the National League system has seen us welcome 'groundhoppers', neutral fans who just come along to experience our club. They leave excellent reviews! 

"Obviously we are miles off some clubs, but as our 3-0 win against Cheltenham Saracens this week underlines, we are a progressive new prospect at this level - there are a lot of quite stagnant old clubs out there who we are prepared to knock down, one at a time!"

● Recent progression for the club has also enabled it to compete eight times in the FA Vase and once, in 2019, in the FA Cup.