Bishop’s Cleeve’s homecoming has been delayed for a couple of weeks.

The Hellenic League Premier Division pacesetters had hoped that their first game back at Kayte Lane would be this Saturday against Bradford Town, but chairman David Walker explained that work on their new 3G artificial pitch had, understandably, fallen behind schedule.

“The 3G astro couldn’t be laid because of all the recent storms,” he told The Local Answer. “We’re taking it week by week – there’s more rain forecast – but we’re hoping that we may be able to play on the new artificial pitch on 19^th March.”

That game is against Hereford Lads Club and it could just be that Cleeve will already be the champions by then although Walker, for one, is refusing to take anything for granted.

Cleeve drew 0-0 with Westfields at Evesham United last night and that point saw them stretch their lead to 12 points. Only sixth-placed Westbury United have a realistic chance of catching them, but although they have played three games fewer, they trail the leaders by 13 points.

Cleeve now have five league games left to play – all at home – and their final league fixture is against Shrivenham on Tuesday 22^nd March. They start their Hellenic League Cup campaign four days later with a home game against Worcester Raiders, who are going well in Division One.

The new 3G artificial pitch is part of a major £835,000 refurbishment of the go-ahead club, which includes new LED floodlighting, new spectator pitch surrounds, a new four-and-a-half metre fence around the ground, a new car park at the front and other work to the infrastructure in terms of the car park.

The Football Foundation has been the major contributor to the project but the club also received a grant from the Football Stadia Improvement Fund and they raised £90,000 themselves.

The club have also been supported by Gloucestershire County Council, Southam Parish Council, Tewkesbury Borough Council, Bovis Homes and the Gloucestershire Football Association and they, along with many others, will receive invitations when Cleeve’s new facilities are officially opened on Sunday 15^th May.