BRACKNELL Town chairman Kayne Steinborn-Busse this week announced plans to make a number of changes at Larges Lane – and they are in complete contrast to how most non-league clubs operate, writes Dave Wright.

The current clubhouse is to be converted into a classroom and common room for school and Academy scholars with the club planning to provide a pathway for the very young right up to the age of 18.

The bar remains, but will be concealed behind a wall and the sale of alcohol will be limited for use only during home first-team games.

There will be no more external social events held at the club and, as a result, the club have made an application to Bracknell Forest Council to change their licence, significantly reducing the times in which they are permitted to sell alcohol and play music.

Steinborn-Busse commented: “With new homes being built in close proximity to our ground, we need to show consideration to the local residents and the club will now look to close at 10.30pm, or as near to that time as possible each night.

“Our current licence allows us the sale of alcohol, films, live music, recorded music and performance of dance every day from 11am to midnight and until 1.30am on Friday and Saturday.

“We have submitted a change to reduce the hours from 5pm to 10pm during the week, noon to 10pm on Saturday, and noon to 6pm on Sunday and to 10pm on Bank Holiday weekends.

“We are currently allowed to hold four non-football events per year – like the ale festival that was traditionally held at the club – but we are now looking to remove non-sporting events from our licence.”

Bracknell are also stopping unsocial-hour bookings for their 3G pitch, having recently ended the weekly six-a-side league programme last month.

Explaining his reasons for the changes, Steinborn-Busse said: “Over recent years, we have significantly evolved from an old-school men’s only club to a high-quality sports development and community club.

“All of our efforts now go into educational and multi-discipline delivery, in a clean, professional and safe environment.

“Our experience of working with the Ranelagh School and Wellington College sports departments has helped to shape this new way of working, bringing a club and school ethos together into a joint philosophy for adults and junior sports development.

“In recent years we have been moving away from the drinking and smoking image that sometimes attaches itself to many sports and social clubs.

“Our aim now is to provide a clean, healthy, professional sporting and educational facility which promotes perfection not only in sporting achievement, but whole-person achievement.

“This is heavily backed through partnerships with recognised leaders in these fields, including Ranelagh, Wellington College and Global Premier Soccer.”

It is the Head of Football at Wellington, Stephen Peters, who will head the programme – similar to a 6th form at college but with a sporting focus – at Larges Lane, while continuing at Wellington.

Peters told the News: “After several highly productive meetings with Kayne, it became very evident of the club’s long-term vision to produce well educated, well mannered young men and women.

“Couple that with a desire to offer a world-class platform for players to improve their football abilities, and I was delighted to accept the offer and be appointed as the club’s Head of Academy.

“The transformation within the club over the past two years has been phenomenal.

“Our goal is to continue that transformation and ultimately produce an exceptional environment for our young athletes to excel and reach their full potential.

“It’s an amazing time to be involved with Bracknell Town FC and I can’t wait to launch our new projects”.

Steinborn-Busse continued: “We are very much a local community-orientated club and this is certainly being shown by the large number of youngsters who train and play for the club’s junior teams each week and by the support we receive at our first-team matches. “The aim is to continue that growth and provide an even higher level of sports facilities for all Bracknell residents to enjoy.”