Wokingham & Emmbrook will consider splitting half their home fixtures next season between Saturday afternoons and Tuesday evenings when they switch to their temporary home at Bracknell Town’s ground, writes Dave Wright.

Secretary Bob Good confirmed the Sumas are committed to playing at Step 6, adding: “We will groundshare with Bracknell while we develop Lowther Road to stay at Step 6 in the following season. Long term, we are aiming for Step 5, where we believe this club should be.”

With the FA insisting all Step 6 clubs must have floodlights, it was starting to look if the club would be forced to drop down to the Thames Valley Premier League, but last week the Hellenic League Division 1 East side agreed on a deal to play at Larges Lane.

Good continued: “All our games will be fitted around Bracknell’s first team and Allied League fixtures, and maybe half will be on a Tuesday and the other half on Saturday.

“I thought we would only play on a Saturday, but when they (Bracknell) suggested Tuesday as well, I jumped at it as I thought our players and supporters would like that.”

It will be the second time the Sumas have used Larges Lane, previously going there in 2010, while more recently they shared Henley Town’s ground.

Palmer Park in Reading was mooted as a possible temporary home for this season, but that was far from ideal especially compared to what Larges Lane can offer in the way of facilities, on and off the pitch.

Dan Bateman’s men will enjoy performing on the 3G surface as well as having excellent dressing-room facilities. His players are said to be excited about the move and the club will expect to attract new signings.

The Sumas will wait for the release of Bracknell’s Isthmian League fixtures list next month before informing the Hellenic League of dates when they can play at home in the 14-team Division 1 East, although the total of clubs is subject to confirmation.

Despite having no cover or seated accommodation at Lowther Road, they were the second best-supported team in their division last season behind champions Virginia Water, who played at Premier Division Windsor.

Sumas have confirmed that Blueprint fitted furniture will continue to be their main shirt sponsor, while local businessman, Mark Ashwell, is back as club president to head up the application for the ground-improvement grant to upgrade the Lowther Road facilities.

Dan Bateman stays as first-team manager with Clive McNelly assisting him, though the club would prefer to have a management team of three, both for the seniors and reserves, who will continue to play in the Thames Valley Premier League at the Emmbrook venue.

Good quashed a social-media rumour that the club did not have the money to ground share, commenting: “Wokingham are financially a sound club and we wouldn’t progress and enter into things unless we could afford it.

“At the same time, like any other football club, we would welcome more sponsors to come on board. We are a club going forward.”