24 Dec 2025
It’s been described as St Albans’ worst kept secret – the fact that there are plans afoot for the Saints to relocate from Clarence Park to a new location in Chiswell Green.
Now the club’s co-owner chairman Lawrence Levy has directly addressed the fans to explain the reasons behind the move and hopefully bring them along on the journey.
The Saints are exploring options with the goal of creating a modern, purpose-built stadium and associated development off Noke Lane that would secure its future and strengthen its role in the local community.
The club is working in partnership with Clowes Developments, a commercial developer with experience delivering high-quality schemes that support local economies and employment opportunities.
Speaking in a special podcast alongside head of academies and community projects Charlie Boswell, first team manager Gary McCann and women’s manager Anthony Gosling, he said the process was about engaging members of the club, the fan base and sponsors to promote what they are trying to achieve.
“It’s something we’ve been talking about for years… It’s important for the whole community and our fan base to be involved,” Lawrence explained, “and this is the first thing we’re doing to promote what we’re trying to do.”
Gary said: “I’ve only just come into the building and become part of this special football club. Part of the reasoning was the ambitions of the club and where they wanted to take it over the coming years… and I’m looking forward to being part of that journey…
“Obviously the benefits are pretty straightforward in how easy it will be to recruit on the back of a new stadium.”
Anthony said: “Clarence Park holds a lot of fond memories from FA Cup games, the first women’s home game and other key milestones, but we need to elevate ourselves as a football club, and it’s not adequate for female fans, female players and female staff, and that’s something we’re looking to change.”
Lawrence explained that the current stadium at Clarence Park is held in trust, the landlords are SADC and the Saints received a licence to play every five years, which means they are unable to invest properly in the club’s facilities because it lacks the security a new stadium would provide.
Gary said: “This isn’t just about building the stadium, it’s the two training pitches which are going to run alongside.”
He said the vision is to bring together all aspects of the club, from the youth teams and parents to the first-team players and coaches, and create a training hub which they can all benefit from using.”
Lawrence elaborated on the reasons behind the move: “Something I didn’t realise when I took over the club in 2011 is that the clubhouse is one of the two spaces we can use to generate income, but as it’s in trust you can’t have weddings or banqueting and do all the other things that many clubs at our level can do to generate income. With more income you can employ more people in community projects and put more budget into the first teams.
“From a location point of view Clarence Park is great, but our land here is about 2.9 acres, while there’s another club up the road at a similar level which owns about five. So for the economic and environmental security of the football club – because it’s an old stadium – it’s a logical progression for me.”
Gary agreed: “There’s expenditure to be saved as well, because the cost of training facilities now are through the roof because there’s such a demand, and venues are so difficult to come by.
“The plan is to have our own training hub, which will help the football club to grow.
“There’ll be a fair bunch of fans who will buck against it and create a bit of noise, and they’re the ones who need to be enlightened about where we’re at and the requirements that are needed.”
With regards to planning issues, Lawrence said they will have to put a transport plan in place to ensure the new stadium would be both sustainable and accessible.
“This isn’t my project, it’s a project for St Albans, and we want the benefits to the community to be there in perpetuity.
“I saw some minutes from the mid-seventies where there was a discussion of a stadium relocation, so it’s not my idea, I’m just taking on the process as there is a real need to ensure the security of the football club going forwards.”
He said the club is working with a developer who owns a large area of Green Belt land, and the cost of the stadium would be funded from part of the profit achieved by selling other parts of that land.
“We’ll have a stadium that’s certainly up to the National League, League Two status, with maybe one stand with seating and then three terraces, toilet facilities, changing rooms fit for women’s, men’s and youth football, two changing room for referees, training facilities…
“It’s a stadium fit for purpose, and we’ll be in charge of our own destination.
“I think I’ve looked at every blade of grass in St Albans when it comes to where and how we can put a pitch, and a developer prepared to fund the stadium based on their ability to generate their own revenues…
“We’ve got a lot of work to do between now and a planning application going in, so it’s an ongoing process for a positive outcome… This is a football club that needs a future, and this is definitely the future.”
You can see the podcast and find out more about the bid for a new Saints stadium at https://stalbanscityfcstadium.com/ and speak to the team at the matchday pop-up on Saturday December 27 at 3pm.
- St Albans City FC have dipped into the transfer market again with the signing of 19-year-old goalkeeper Gabriel Ortelli on a 28-day loan from Watford FC. A product of the Hornets’ academy set-up, he has played for both the club’s U18 and U21 sides. He has also represented Cyprus in the U19s European qualifiers and made his U21s international debut in March. Ortelli made his debut for the Saints in the 1-0 defeat to Dartford, and it’s likely he will feature between the sticks again in City’s festive home fixture at Clarence Park on Saturday against Wingate & Finchley. Kick off is 3pm.
