| YMCA have grounds for a new Ryman aim. |
AMBITIOUS Horsham YMCA are primed to make the step up from Sussex County to the Ryman League.
Last week, YM's Gorings Mead ground was recommended for an 'E' category rating - which allows them to apply to join the Ryman league.
Defending champions YM are currently top of Sussex County League Division 1, winning will guarantee progress but it's still possible if they finish in the top two - John Suter's men are 17 points clear of third placed Whitehawk at present.
FA inspectors visited the ground on Friday, March 31, and were impressed with the efforts YMCA had made to ensure everything was up to standard.
Sponsor Victor Gladwish had pumped £25,000 into the club to make improvements, but after discovering that more work was required, agreed to provide another £21,000 to bring the ground up to specification - three weeks before the inspection.
Chairman Mick Browning said: "We were down there every night, sometimes there were a group of us working until 10pm, it's still not totally completed, but enough to get us through the grading. There are a few cosmetic things to be done through the summer months.
"In real terms, for the club to be among the leading Ryman teams in the area it would be amazing to play against the likes of Tooting and Mitcham and Kingstonian.
"We are going to sit down and think everything through during the summer, it will be fulfilling and will be a wonderful experience for those people who have worked so hard for the YMCA.
"We are going to have to raise more money, and we are going to have to be as professional as we can without putting the club at risk.
"This club has been run very prudently and will continue to do so, we will be making sure that the club survives for many years to come.
"Hopefully playing at a higher standard of football will have a long term benefit for the youth of the town, we want to encourage a lot of youngsters down there.
"Without Victor this would never have happened, he has been a very generous man.
"The club may never be in the same position again and this opportunity should not be missed."
Improvements carried out included an extension of the fencing around th,e ground, new turnstiles and dugouts -former player-turned builder Darren Champion and Horsham Fencing were at the forefront of the work.
And by a twist of fate, YMCA could face Horsham PC in the league - if the Hornets fail to win promotion to the Ryman Premier.
Plans have been mooted to change the Ryman set-up from a two tier system with Division 1 and 2 to a North/South arrangement, with teams from both progressing to the Premier.
Browning commented: "As far as Horsham goes, I hope they go up, I wish them every success. It would be wonderful for the town to have both clubs playing in a higher league.
"Hopefully we will find an extra few fans, there is no reason to think that, with the teams we will be playing, we cannot get more people through the gate."
First team manager John Suter plans to make an impact on the Ryman League - looking to finish clear of a relegation scrap in his first season.
"I'm expecting the squad to come back next season and give it a go," he remarked.
"I think it's possible to finish mid-table, but there will be some big sides in that league, such as Dover.
"Although the reason we are top of this league is because I have players of experience and quality. I think they are all looking forward to it, I have players who have played at a higher level than Ryman 1, Ellis Hooper (Crawley and Carshalton) Matt Russell (Bognor) and lan Chatfield (Crawley).
"Everybody is really buzzing about it, I love to see the enthusiasm of the players and it's a reward for the likes of Matt Duffield, Wayne Potter and Barrie Westgate for their years of service.
"Between now and the .start of next season Tommy [Sampson] and I will be looking to strengthen the squad with some more experienced players, but a lot of the squad will be capable of playing at that level."
Victor Gladwish, owner of sponsors Gladwish Land Sales said: "I realised that if the club did not go up this year a, third attempt for the manager to come top would be asking too much of him and the players, and everything would collapse at the club and people would become disenchanted. I also felt that if the matter was left to the club itself then the finances would not be there for years and eventually the enthusiasm would disappear into 'let's do that another time' and eventually never get done at all.
"Well done to one and all who accomplished this."