MELKSHAM’S two biggest sports clubs are primed and ready to, at long last, usher in a new era tomorrow.

Delays caused by reasons as bizarre as the discovery of a protected colony of newts have caused major bumps in the road along the way but on Saturday, more than three years on from when plans were formally lodged with Wiltshire Council, Melksham Town football club and Melksham rugby club are due to play their first games at their new £7 million Oakfields home.

The football club will be raising the curtain by taking on Toolstation League Premier Division title rivals Bristol Manor Farm in a rearranged FA Vase fourth round proper replay (kick-off 3pm) and manager Darren Perrin believes that his side’s new ground will take supporters’ breath away. “It’s unreal,” said Perrin.

“It’s a bit eerie and scary but we’re looking forward to it.

“It’s been a sensational job from the committee, the council and the Football Foundation to make this happen and it’s an unbelievable facility.

“I’m not scared to say that it’s the best facility that I’ve ever seen in this area by a county mile and I think that people will be shocked when they see it.

“Even though the replay is at home, it’s almost going to be like playing at a neutral venue because we won’t have been on the pitch ourselves, but we’re going to enjoy it.

“As a community club, this is a huge step forward for us and we’re expecting a big crowd of 700 or 800 on Saturday.”

In October, Perrin’s men took on a team of Manchester United legends at their former home, the Conigre, in what was originally pencilled in as a curtain-raiser for Oakfields.

Supporters who retained their tickets from that match were due free entry to Saturday’s game with Manor Farm but due to FA regulations, Melksham are obligated to charge an entrance fee for a Vase tie and that offer will apply to the league game with Cadbury Heath on Saturday, January 21, instead.

Meanwhile, the town’s rugby club host near neighbours Bradford on Avon (kick-off 2.15pm) in their first Oakfields fixture, having said goodbye to their old Melksham House home.

Club secretary Andy Cadwallader said: “It’s been in the pipeline for such a long time and it’s great to see things finally come to fruition.

“We’re really pleased. We’ve had the keys since last Friday, so we haven’t had a lot of time to get much work done.

“It’s going to be something of a rolling start for the first game and we’re planning to have a big event sometime later in the year but we’re still expecting a lot of ex-players to be there.

“We’ve gone from not having tenure of our own ground to this amazing facility, so it really is great to see how far we’ve come.”