Kent has welcomed a “new” Isthmian League side this week with one of the most unexpected ground share announcements for many years. 

On Monday evening, Crawley based Three Bridges, who last season made the Isthmian South East Play Off Final at the expense of Ryan Maxwell’s Sittingbourne side only to lose 5-0 at home to Chichester City in the Final, announced that they would be playing their “home” games at the Bauvill Stadium, home of Chatham Town – nearly FIFTY miles away! 

The initial announcement states Bridges “home” games will be played in Medway until November or December whilst a new 4g pitch is laid at their Jubilee Walk home – and a decision that has taken most football fans by surprise and to a degree shock. 

It seems a bizarre decision given the proximity of Bridges to fellow Isthmian clubs including Horsham, East Grinsted Town, Burgess Hill Town, Broadbridge Heath and Merstham – perhaps one of the reasons being that when comparing the Chats fixtures to Bridges fixtures, there is just a solitary clash of fixtures which comes on the weekend of October 12/13 when the Chats host Horsham in the Premier Division and Bridges “host” Lancing in the South East… 

What quite happens after the end of November and into December if the new Jubilee Walk surface isn’t ready is not clear at this point as from that point the two Clubs home fixtures are mirrored and will surely mean some strange fixtures coming to Medway.

When the announcement was made, comments on the Chats fans social media page included a question of their fan base if they would go to Bridges games – one replied “if my CTFC season-ticket is valid!”

Wishful thinking perhaps, but you remember that the Sussex side averaged just over 130 last season at their home just outside Crawley, you really do have to wonder how the lodgers will attract the Chats faithful whilst at the same time it must be questioned just what crowds they might get at the Bauvill for games against such teams as some of their more local sides like East Grinsted and Merstham – two of the sides who are now scheduled to visit the Bauvill! 

Naturally, the talk at the Bauvill in midweek at Chathams penultimate pre-season friendly with a Bromley XI visited centered around the ground sharing move and a lot of supporters were amazed, but many accepted the “possibility” of attending a Three Bridges home game if either the Chats are away or not playing.