In the beginning.....
Our story begins in June 1981, when the playing fields, long used by local schools and amateur clubs for football and rugby, came under threat from the financial restrictions of the time. Faced with the need to substantially renovate the grounds and buildings, Essex County Council decided that the potential cost was not justified by the level of use and that the facility should be closed.

Typically, Len Forge, and his contemporaries in the Southend Borough Football Combination (all in or near their 60s), saw this as an opportunity rather than a disaster and after much wrangling - as much with other (less inspired) users of the site as with Essex CC - succeeded in gaining agreement for the Borough Combination to take over the operation of the site.

Unsurprisingly, Essex CC were not willing to provide any form of assistance, and Len and his colleagues were faced with the following programme of tasks: -

1. Restore the site to a good playing condition - the grass was said to be 'several feet high' -  with no maintenance equipment available.
2. Repair the changing rooms - extensively vandalised with broken toilets and a non-functioning boiler.
3. Establish the long term viability of the site - with a clubhouse/bar to provide support funds.

The Eastwoodbury Lane Project was born.

Moving on .....
The first phase - to prepare the facilities for the start of the season in September - was begun with the assistance of a local farmer to trim the grass to a manageable height, equipment was acquired, and Messrs. Forge, Hensey and Hemming set about preparing the pitches. The boiler was repaired and sufficient volunteers found to carry out the initial work in restoring the changing rooms to something like normality.  

With core facilities in place, Len continued to push for the features which would improve, develop, and stabilise the 'Project' - the files are full of his carefully scripted (but badly typed!) missives seeking or even cajoling help wherever possible - and berating the lack of cooperation from the powers that be. Perhaps they couldn't believe that such a small band of 'amateurs' could achieve so much!

• A suitable clubhouse building was located at a factory site in Luton (old and surplus to requirements). It was brought to the site (in sections) in October 1982, re-assembled and refurbished by volunteers - and it is still in use 27 years later!

• !n 1983, Len Forge steered the organisation through the process of obtaining charitable status under special rules for sports organisations. This required the site to be managed as a separate body from the Borough Combination, and the bar, but brought significant financial benefits.
  The Eastwoodbury Lane Project became the Eastwoodbury Lane Centre.

• High profile tournaments were arranged with similar amateur football associations across continental Europe - and continued for more than a decade

• Floodlights were installed on the main pitch in 1986 - but it took two years of negotiation with Southend Council and the Airports Authorities to gain agreement - even with a height restriction of 12 metres!

• Essex County Council agreed to replace the annual 'user' agreement with a 10 year lease in 1995, but it never came to fruition - perhaps because of the imminent transfer of the site to Southend under local government reorganisation. A 21 year lease was eventually granted by Southend in 2001 - after a large slice of the land had been removed to allow the construction of Nestuda Way! Len campaigned for compensation for the loss of 3 pitches (despite the lack of legal status) and eventually secured a nominal, but useful sum.

• New changing rooms were built alongside the main pitch in 2000 - which allowed the original building to be re-organised yet again from the 1982 configuration of individual, but smallish team rooms to the fewer, larger, light and airy ones in use there now - and the boiler is still working!.

The 'Project' had seen success from its first season, but it had been hard work and (past 80 years of age) Len gradually withdrew from his intense active involvement in all things football, finally retiring from his triple role at the Centre in 2003.

The other bits .....
Outside the football fraternity, Len encouraged other organisations to make the Centre their home - principally to provide income.
The Disabled in Action Sports Club came to Eastwoodbury Lane in 1983  - eventually moving to larger premises suitable for a greater range of sports.
Southend Radio Control Car Club was given use of an area behind the clubhouse as a track - it is now a permanent tarmac circuit with a high reputation.
Belle Enfant, was the first of many 'nursery' facilities using the hall for the benefit of local families.
The Combination Friendship Club was just one of several social groups using the clubhouse.

The current facilities are a fitting legacy to the efforts of Len Forge and his contemporaries - just a few remain.

And, back to now .....
The Centre continues to prosper, and the range of users has hardly changed since the beginning (though the organisations are different). Resources are never sufficient for the many needs however - the buildings and equipment need constant attention as they complete their third decade of use - and careful control of the maintenance remains an essential part of the management methods.

With this in mind, the current management team are actively seeking to renew the facilities and extend the operation in a manner that can only be described as 'ambitious' - but which will see the natural development of the original designs and concepts for the site. Caution is essential - especially in the current economic climate - so little progress will be obvious. But the project continues, and anybody interested in being a part of it is very welcome.