We're at a very advanced stage of getting 15 acres of land, says Glebe chief Rocky McMillan

GLEBE manager/chairman Rocky McMillan has unveiled plans for a new ground in the Bromley area.

Glebe entered the Kent Invicta League last season and finished in tenth-place.  They hire the facilities at Holmesdale’s Oakley Road ground in Bromley.

McMillan’s side finished their pre-season campaign with a 3-3 draw at Southern Counties East Football League side Fisher, where he broke plans to move into their own ground within the London Borough of Bromley.

He said: “I can’t really divulge, we’re at a very advanced stage. It’s quite well known, Holmesdale know we’re at an advanced stage of getting fifteen acres of land.  It’s in the hands of solicitors now so we’re just waiting to sign it.

“I’m quite open about it, what’s going on. We’re now starting season 2014-15, we won’t be able to get on it until next spring, which will be too late for our first team to go back in the summer so we will play under 21 football there next year and be looking to let out on alternative Saturday’s and we’ll be moving in to our own ground in 2016-17.

“We’ve had the Football Foundation down, we’ve had the LFA down. We’ve had plans drawn. Once I announce it we then go to the planners.

“It’s an established site and I think it’s what the club needs. The club deserves a stadium of its own.”

McMillan takes his side to Hextable on Saturday to open their Kent Invicta League campaign against Sutton Athletic.

James Collins led the club to third-place and won two trophies last season.

But he left the club after just one successful season in charge to take over Corinthian, who open their Southern Counties East Football League campaign with a home game against Lordswood at Gay Dawn Farm on Friday night.

Sutton Athletic have unveiled Ben Young, 31, as their new manager and he will be assisted by Richard Esson, 28.

“Probably not a bad time to go there actually, with a change of manager,” said McMillan.

“Where I speak of experience, we know their pitch is the biggest and widest in the league so we know where the ground is and what the pitch is about.

“I’m sure their new manager will want to get off to a good start. I’m sure he’s brought in some really good players.  I think it was third in the league for Sutton but going down and playing on a pitch like that, it’s going to be in great condition and I think with the fitness of the lads, we’re certainly up for it on Saturday.”

Glebe completed their pre-season campaign with a 4-0 win over Deal Town and a thrilling 3-3 draw at Fisher last Sunday.

“It shows that we’ve got goals in us against a higher grade of opposition so I’m thinking if we can score against higher graded teams we can score against our own level,” said McMillan.

“I think the quality of football that we showed at Fisher, I actually felt was a great advert for the Invicta League.

“Since I’ve come here to a degree the leagues are facility based and I think the top six or seven teams in step six (Kent Invicta League) could easy accommodate themselves in step five. I’ve seen some woeful step five games so I think it’s facility base and the sooner the Invicta comes under Southern Counties East Football League and makes it SCEFL Premier and SCEFL One and we can get it two up and two down – the difficulty this year is you’re only going to get one up and I’ve got players and other teams have got players that really deserve to be showing their abilities at a higher level.”

Glebe finished their inaugural campaign in senior football in tenth-place last season and McMillan searches for improvement.

“I’m sure we can do better this year,” he said.

“If we won the last game we’d finished eighth. I think we were a top eight team last year but leagues don’t lie. 

“We failed to finish games off.  I think we gave away 12 or 15 points so I think this season we’ve learnt the league.  I go back to these avoidable goals situation.  If we can cut those out, I think we’re going to be stronger up front this year.

“There was a group of six or seven egos last year, which have all gone and I think we’re a far more complete team now, although we go in with zero points.”

Visit Glebe’s website: www.pitchero.com/clubs/glebefc

Sutton Athletic  v  Glebe
Kent Invicta League
Saturday 9^th August 2014
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Lower Road, Hextable, Kent BR8 7RZ