ALVECHURCH hope to have secured their long term future after agreeing a 25-year lease on a new 20 acre site.

The Lye Meadow outfit have sealed a deal to play on Hayes playing fields after talks with landowners Birmingham City Council, which is located three miles from the village on Wasthill Lane.

The site boasts six pitches and the club is initially planning to use it for their junior and ladies sections.

Church have ambitious plans to increase the number of junior teams and are close to a merger with Alvechurch Lions.

The Midlands Premier outfit hope to have 20 sides playing on it in time for the 2017-18 campaign.

The playing fields currently have changing rooms but the club are in the process of lodging planning permission for a 3G stadium, pavilion and changing rooms.

Chairman Richard Thorndike, who was instrumental in the deal, confirmed on the club's website that the rent was 'agreeable'.

Church are currently locked in talks with Lye Meadow landlords Crossland Investments Limited over a new lease at their home since 1957, with the the current deal set to end in 2018.

With their future at the Meadow in doubt, the club may have to look to relocate to their new home.

Club secretary Steve Denny said: “We obviously don’t have the space for any of the junior sides at Lye Meadow and they have to play in a number of different places.

“The site at Hayes will allow them to play all in one venue.

“With the proposed generated income from the site we are confident this will guarantee a financial future for the club as well as providing first rate playing and training facilities.”

Meanwhile, Ian Long’s troops defeated Long Eaton United 3-1 last Thursday and lost 2-0 at Coleshill.

They were set to entertain Sporting Khalsa last night, welcome Bardon Hill on Saturday and tackle Heath Hayes away next Tuesday in the JW Hunt Cup quarter-finals.