Maidenhead United set out new stadium vision for Braywick Park at stakeholder reception

Jon Adams, Una Loughrey, MP Joshua Reynolds and Peter Griffin at the reception on Thursday

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Maidenhead United held a reception in the town on Thursday evening where they outlined in more detail their vision for a new stadium in Braywick Park.

Having engaged more widely with the council and key stakeholders to understand their concerns over the previous proposal – which was blocked by the newly-installed Lib Dem council back in July 2023 – the club is presenting a new two-site solution which it hopes will gain wider support from the community.

Maidenhead MP Joshua Reynolds was one of those at the reception at MyWorkSpot in York House and he’s been involved in the process of finding a potential solution that meets everyone’s needs.

“Although we are at an early stage in the process, I am encouraged by the belief that there is a solution which addresses our concerns while also safeguarding and supporting the future of Maidenhead United,” he said. “I look forward to continued collaboration with Maidenhead United over the weeks and months ahead.”

With York Road ‘at capacity’ in terms of future development the club knows it must move to a new stadium to secure its future as a competitive, self-sustainable and successful football club.

It has proposed a new location at the back of Braywick Park for a ‘scaled back’ two-storey ground with a capacity of 5,000 and 2,000 seats. While covering a smaller footprint, the ground would still be football league compliant – should the Magpies ever be in a position to break that ceiling – and a new hybrid surface would enable many more competitive matches to be played at the ground – not just for the men’s team, but for the women, development, academy and junior teams as well.

The hope is the new facilities would help generate more income immediately, while plans for new training facilities – including a futsal hall and artificial training pitches – are being deferred with a new site set to be found in the borough.

The new ground would be accessed from a new entrance from Vicus Way and have a small car park for matchday staff and players. Supporters would be encouraged to walk from the town centre or park at one of the council’s car parks in Vicus Way or Stafferton Way.

The plans are yet to be submitted, however, the proposals appear to be garnering more support from key stakeholders at Braywick Park, such as Maidenhead Rugby Club who have said they can see no reasons to object at this stage. With the training pitches and facilities having been removed from the plans and the new access point from Vicus Way, issues over the scale of the development and traffic and access concerns have been removed.

After announcing the plans to supporters at a fans’ forum at York Road last Monday, the club also released a video – entitled ‘Our Future’ explaining their vision for the park. They say moving to Braywick would represent a ‘return to their roots in the town’s new hub for sports and recreation’, just as York Road once was when the club was established in 1870.

Maidenhead United Football Club is delighted to share a significant update in our ambitions to relocate to a new ground in Braywick Park.

Over the past 12 months, the club has been engaging with the local authority regarding our ambitions to relocate away from York Road, as… pic.twitter.com/mKwaTdGtfj

— Maidenhead United (@MUFCYorkRoad) December 12, 2025

After Thursday’s event, the club released a statement from chairman Peter Griffin, CEO Jon Adams and director Una Loughrey saying: “It was fantastic to see so many representatives from the brilliant organisations and businesses across the town at Maidenhead United’s 2025 Reception last night. It genuinely means a great deal to the club that we were able to come together.

“For those who couldn’t make it, we completely understand. It is, after all, Christmas party season. We’ll certainly be extending the invitation again at future events.

“We were delighted to share the early-stage ambitions for securing our long-term future with a proposed ground move that keeps us firmly rooted within the town. Remaining in Maidenhead, alongside our wonderful partners, is essential to our success both on and off the pitch.

“We also took the opportunity to celebrate the impact of our off-field work, which now delivers over £5million in social value, much of it achieved in partnership with many of you.

“A special thank you to our MP, Joshua Reynolds, for his words on the night, and to Lucindha Lawson, an integral part of our Maidenhead United Futsal programme, whose recent Bronze Medal representing GB at the Deaflympics was a highlight we were proud to celebrate.”

For all of the details of the club’s proposals visit https://www.maidenheadunitedfc.org/our-future/

Speaking last week, Mr Adams confirmed the council had ‘negotiated hard’ over the price of the land that’s being proposed, saying – if agreed – it would be a ‘multi-million-pound deal’. Speaking at the reception, Mr Griffin spoke of how the deal would also secure wider investment in community sports facilities, with the council set to deliver on several projects including the upgrade of the Maidenhead Athletic Club track at Braywick Park.

The club also wants the development to be in keeping and sympathetic to the overall nature of the park, and hope it will have renewable energy, water recycling and be energy efficient. It is also talking with the council about the possibility of extending the nature reserve at the back of the park.

The plans won’t be universally supported by residents, and as such the club will embark on a comprehensive engagement programme in the coming weeks, with focus groups to cover key issues such as the design of the stadium and biodiversity. Mr Adams said the club wants to hear from residents, whether they’re supportive or opposed to the plans.

The next steps will see councillors consider the club’s proposal at a cabinet meeting on January 27. They would then publish an open space notice on whether to dispose of the site to the club. That would be decided by the council’s cabinet on March 3 and, if agreed, the council would lodge a full planning application shortly afterwards.