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/1904g.jpg) Horsham's farewell season at Queen Street
turned out to be one of mixed emotions. The 104 year old venue experienced one
last day in the limelight when 2,731 fans saw Horsham hold FA Cup opponents
Swansea City to a 1-1 draw but, as the clock ran down at Queen Street, Horsham
faced the prospect of being homeless. With the club's new stadium at Holbrook
still in the early planning stages, a proposed two year groundsharing deal at
Crawley Town was on the verge of being accepted when it suddenly hit the
buffers, potentially leaving Horsham without a ground to play on next season.
The most practical solution, a temporary move next door to Horsham YMCA's
Gorings Mead ground, was rejected but after an anxious few weeks Horsham have
been given permission by the Isthmian League to groundshare at Worthing for
one season, with any extension of the agreement dependant upon the progress of
the new ground at Holbrook. Due to the downturn in the housing market, Horsham
had the option of staying on at Queen Street for at least another season but,
faced with rental charges of around £0.5m, the club have decided to move on.
 Queen Street's town centre location has long made it a target for property
developers and, hoping to solve their financial woes, Horsham decided to
accept a £4 million offer from house builders Sunley Homes in 2004. The groans
that met the announcement did not come exclusively from Sussex. For many years
Queen Street has been a favourite of lovers of traditional football grounds;
classic venues that have grown up organically over the decades, their stands
and terracing built not at the behest of grading requirements but because the
level of support warranted it.
Horsham moved to Queen Street in 1904, taking with them a small stand from
their previous ground at Springfield Park. It was replaced in 1928 by an
altogether more sophisticated structure, a brick built affair which reflected
the architectural spirit of the age. Among its various artistic flourishes
were a set of faux arches along the paddock wall, wrought iron entrance gates
and, perhaps best of all, a decorative entrance featuring a delightful action
figure of a footballer in the club's colours. With no Football Foundation
grants available in those days, finance for the stand was raised by public
subscription.
A lucrative FA Cup run in 1947/48 enabled Horsham to spend £1,000 on a series
of much needed improvements at Queen Street, which was struggling to cope with
the post-war rise in
 attendances. The rotten wooden sleepers on the side
opposite the grandstand were replaced by nine concrete steps which, over the
next few years, acquired a substantial pitch length cover supported by an
array of metal poles. More shelter was added in 1963 when a simple covered
terrace was provided at the Gorings Mead end. Despite Queen Street's sizeable
capacity, extra seating had to be rented in 1966 when Horsham were drawn at
home against Swindon Town in the FA Cup. Tiered stands holding a total of
2,500 seats were deployed at the Queen Street end and alongside the
grandstand, while spectators were allowed to stand four deep in front of the
pitch barriers. At the request of the visitors, extra bulbs were added to
Horsham's floodlights which had been erected the year before. The police set a
temporary crowd limit of 8,000 for the tie but, in the event, a record crowd
of 7,134 jammed in to see the game which resulted in a 3-0 win for Swindon
Town.
Because of all the good work done in previous years, Queen Street was better
placed than most to meet the rigours of modern ground grading. Refurbishment
work meant that the grandstand looked in particularly fine fettle and, even
allowing for the loss of the roof at the Gorings Mead end in the 1990s, the
ground was comfortably good enough for the Isthmian League Premier Division
when Horsham won promotion in 2006. For some time, however, Horsham's
financial well-being has been dependant upon Sunley Homes which, ahead of the
sale, had been advancing the club money since 2004. Horsham's side of the
bargain was that they should vacate Queen Street by 2008, hence their current
predicament.
 Finding a new ground has proved to be a slow process but, in 2007, a site was finally secured when Horsham paid £2.1m for the former Royal and Sun Alliance
Sports Ground at Holbrook, two miles north of Horsham, close to Littlehaven
Railway station. The plans, which were submitted for council approval in
April, provide for a modest sized floodlit stadium featuring a seated stand
and a covered terrace facing onto it, with two small covered terraces behind
each goal. It is understood that the existing social club facilities will be
retained, as will most of the other sporting activities already on site.
Horsham's proposed new pitch will occupy part of the current Holbrook pitch
which, from 1993 to 1997, hosted Sussex County League Division Three football
when, under various names, Sun Alliance, the previous owners of the ground,
were in residence.
item courtesy of Groundtastic magazine
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