We are purchasing the freehold of our ground at Trent Park. This is a landmark event in the history of the club.
Why are we doing this?
As well as giving us a permanent home, owning the land opens up new possibilities, and the club’s vision lays out what might follow.
Already, change is underway. Padel courts are being installed in 2026, which will bring new users and help with our finances. We will be able to focus on keeping Southgate Hockey Centre as one of the best hockey facilities in the country.
A little history
In 1997 we moved from our previous home, the Walker Ground, where we’d been happy since 1890, but where, crucially, we couldn’t lay artificial pitches. Middlesex University – who owned the sports ground site as part of their Trent Park Campus – granted us a 125-year lease.
125 years is a long time, but a fifth of it has already passed. There was a risk, albeit small, that the lease might not be renewed or the freehold sold to someone else.
Middlesex University moved out in 2012, and the site eventually passed to Berkeley Homes. When they approached us about the freehold, we decided we had to take this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The purchase agreement was concluded with them late in 2025.
Berkeley Homes has been a great supporter of Southgate as landlord and we are grateful to them for providing the opportunity to own our home.
What’s involved with the purchase?
Apart from owning the main site – outlined in red above – we have the car parks, bar the ‘bottom’ one, and shared liability for the upkeep of Snakes Lane, which is not an ‘adopted’ (council-owned) road. Berkeley Homes will carry out repairs to the Lane and our car parks as part of our deal.
The cost of the freehold is £150,000. We have paid an initial £50k; further payments of £50k are due late 2026 and 2027.
How can I help?
We have launched a Freehold Appeal to raise the funds needed to cover this and begin a maintenance fund for Snakes Lane.