ROBBIE Cowling has revealed that he has put plans to build Colchester United’s new training ground at Forrester Park Golf Club on hold.

The U’s owner and chairman purchased the Great Totham venue in the summer of 2022, with a view to relocating the club’s training complex from their current Florence Park base, in Tiptree.

But speaking at the U’s recent fans’ forum for season-ticket holders, Mr Cowling said the move will not happen in the near future due to the recent downturn in the housing market.

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He said: “About two years ago, I bought an 18-hole golf course called Forrester Park.

“The plan at the time I bought it was to either buy some land next to it to build a training ground on or turn it into a nine-hole golf course, for a training ground.

“To fund that, we would put houses where Florence Park is at the moment.

“If this was to unfold, then the current training ground would have 125 houses on it.

“Since then, as people might be aware, there’s been quite a collapse in the housing market and there’s no chance of me building 125 houses and selling them to finance that, at this moment in time.

“It’s very, very much one of those longer term plans that’s got a bit longer and there’s just not the means to do it.

Gazette:

“The way I do business, I never borrow money.

“Everything I’ve ever done since I’ve been in business, I pay for it as I go along.

“I’ve never borrowed, so I don’t risk anything.

“To be able to fund the building of the training ground would have to rely on the sale of the houses, so that’s very, very much on hold.

“It’s another exciting plan that’s available.

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“We do have the facility if we need to, to go and do a bit of football training at the golf course.”

Colchester have been based at their current Florence Park training venue in Tiptree for more than a decade, following its opening in 2012.

But the U’s are hampered by a number of restrictions there, some of which are related to the criteria needed to retain the club’s prestigious Category Two academy status.

The academy is crucial to the U’s, with Mr Cowling investing a great deal of finance into the club’s youth set-up.