Historic Surrey football club left without a home desperate to return to old stadium

Inside the grounds
-Credit:Gary Grabban


One Surrey football club is hoping they may be able to go back to their home of 69 years. Banstead Athletic have been unable to play at their ground for several months, and are desperate to get back to the community they love.

The issues with the ground began in March last year, when the club’s long standing chairman, Terry Molloy sadly passed away. Gary Grabban took over the role in May, but the club had already lost its ground at Merland Rise.

Gary told SurreyLive: “At the time of Mr Molloy’s passing, the lease renewal between him and Reigate and Banstead Borough Council was still in progress. With his family unable to continue the club’s operations, the council decided to close the club.”

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With nowhere else to go Gary managed to arrange the ground-sharing partnership with Chessington & Hook United, which he is personally funding. However, this has come at some cost and means Merland Rise has sat empty.

The ground not only has a football pitch but is also home to a club house. Gary said: “The social members’ club, which had nearly 400 members, served as a hub for local residents, fostering a sense of community and belonging. This vital community space has been lost.

“The other side of the clubhouse was used for social activities such as weddings, anniversaries, birthday parties, wakes, and other weekly clubs and activities. The closure has also resulted in job losses for the staff.”

Overgrown grounds
The team have been unable to play at the grounds for months -Credit:Gary Grabban

Reigate and Banstead Council have committed to leasing out the club again, but not necessarily to Banstead Athletic. Gary said: “We have never heard of a club losing its ground to a local rival before, and I would like to think this will not be the case for Banstead Athletic. It is akin to suggesting that Liverpool be given the keys to Old Trafford.”

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Currently, the council is taking expressions of interest, which are due by February 3. It is looking for clubs to meet certain criteria including a commitment to women's and youth sport.

Gary told SurreyLive: “Our draft proposal includes the reintroduction of a youth section, as well as female youth and senior teams. We believe there should be a mechanism for us to regain our ground if we meet the council’s criteria. Additionally, we aim to increase community involvement by offering various community and social programs.

“We are fully aware that the facilities require repair and modernisation. We also have ambitious plans to install artificial turf as part of our improvement plan for the project. However, such improvements take time.

"As the 2025/2026 season approaches, we need to prepare the ground to meet the necessary standards. The pitch has remained untouched since the gates were locked, and the clubhouse has suffered vandalism so an outcome and decision from the council is needed soon.”

For Gary the fight for the club's future is a personal one, he once played for the club himself and has fond memories of his son, Lewis, watching matches. He said: “I used to bring my son to Banstead Athletic when he was around six to nine years old. He cherished the coach journeys, the time with players and watching our football matches.

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"He went on to become a professional footballer, recently retiring after playing over 600 games across all divisions of English football, including the Premier League, and also leagues abroad. His career included stints with Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Sunderland, Norwich, Bournemouth, Rotherham , Brentford, Millwall, and Crystal Palace. He openly talks about his early experiences at Banstead Athletic fuelled his passion for football, and he is eager to contribute to our project.

“I often use his story to inspire our young players, who aspire to become professional footballers and coaches. Our draft proposal emphasises football for everyone and the broader community. Regardless of the level at which one plays, the aspiration to improve, the physical exercise, and the sense of community are invaluable.”

Like Gary the rest of the management team all have deep personal connections to the club, Gary says that all believe they need to do everything possible to sustain Banstead Athletic.

Outside Athletic parliament
Banstead Atheltic has been going since 1944 and moved into the ground in 1955. -Credit:Google

He added: “While other local clubs may eye Merland Rise as their new home, we are passionate about keeping Banstead Athletic at its historic ground. The future brims with incredible potential for the local community, both on and off the football pitch. This project promises to be an exhilarating journey for everyone in the local community and the wider Reigate and Banstead Borough Council area. It’s a thrilling opportunity for all to rally behind and be part of something truly special.”

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Gary says he has been helped on his mission to bring the club home by Councillors Shasha Khan and Nick Harrison.

Cllr Khan (Hooley, Merstham & Netherne) told SurreyLive: “I'd like to think that raising awareness about Banstead Athletic's situation has prevented any immediate changes to the use of Merland Rise stadium. I hope the council officials will now give Mr Grabban a chance to lease the stadium next season.

"Community sports facilities need to be preserved and maintained to offer high-quality services. As a father of young children, I understand how challenging it is to divert kids from digital screens. That's why these local community facilities need investment and should not be left to run down, so young people are encouraged to come out and use them.”

Cllr Harrison (Tattenham Corner and Preston) added: “It was a great shock for Banstead Athletic to lose Terry Molloy, long-term chairman and leaseholder of the ground in Preston, Tadworth. His untimely death coinciding with the ending of the lease was really unfortunate and threw the future of the ground for football into doubt. Local councillors and the Residents' Association are delighted the council has since committed to football resuming in Merland Rise. Expressions of interest are being sought from relevant parties to bring back football – including women’s and youth - and associated community uses. The ground and clubhouse need improvements and investment, but hopefully all will be ready for the start of next season.”

Reigate and Banstead Borough Council has been contacted for comment.