Rochester United head into the promotion play-offs with a huge off-the-field boost behind them.

The Spartans are vying for promotion from the SCEFL first division and regardless of the play-off outcome, there’s plenty to look forward to at the club.

Chairman, manager and now owner Matt Hume has spoken of his delight at finalising a 25-year lease at their Rede Court Road ground in Strood, meaning the club can start to look at making improvements off the pitch.

On it, Hume’s first-team side have overcome plenty of challenges this season to finish fourth in the table and they face Staplehurst Monarchs away tonight for a chance to make the play-off final.

Larkfield & New Hythe played Lewisham Borough in the other semi-final clash on Tuesday night as the play-off sides look to join AFC Whyteleafe at step five next season. Borough progressed to the final after winning 13-12 on penalties following a goalless draw.

Hume said: “We got promoted 12 years ago (from the Kent Invicta League, then as Bly Spartans) but didn’t have a plan.

“We were never in a position to sustain that level with budgets but now we want to progress as a club with a firm foundation so that we can go up and know we can sustain it, that is the aim.

“When you put in the time to try and get promoted you want to know it’s worthwhile doing it. You don’t want to go up with a weak infrastructure and come back down again.”

Hume has spent several years trying to tie up a long-term lease agreement on their ground with owners The Church Commissioners for England.

There are now plans for a new clubhouse, and they will also look into grant funding towards an all-weather pitch at the venue, which is also home to their 14 youth teams.

“The enthusiasm around the club is brilliant and it’s definitely on the up,” said Hume.

“There are things we can now definitely all work towards.

“The 25-year lease we have secured with the church is massive for the club and that has given us a really good platform moving forward.”

The 6.9 hectare site on Watling Road has been home to the club since the early 80s, under the Bly Spartans name before their promotion in 2012 after becoming the inaugural Kent Invicta League champions and changing their name to Rochester United.

Guy Webb, principal asset manager at the Church Commissioners for England said: “This lease extension secures the grounds’ future as a home for Rochester United to play and train at the heart of their local community for years to come.

“The agreement will also ensure future generations continue to enjoy the enormous social benefit the football club brings to the area – not least as a source of local pride.”

The Church Commissioners for England enjoys a close relationship with other community sports facilities in the area, including the nearby Winget Bowls Club and Frindsbury Lawn Tennis Club.

United’s operations director Paul Bowden-Brown added: “We wish to thank everyone involved in the process, in particular the Church Commissioners who fully understood the club’s vision for proposed improvements to the sports ground.

“In agreeing our 25-year lease, the club can now ensure we become an even stronger part of the local community, as well as update the sports ground to support not only the first team but also a vibrant youth set up.”

Hume’s team will now be hoping for some more on-field success away to Staplehurst Monarchs. The winners will play in the final on Saturday and the winners of that game will be promoted to the SCEFL Premier Division. The Spartans last played at that level in 2018.

Hume added: “We narrowly missed out on the play-offs last season and started this year playing really well and I was confident, but we had injury upon injury and then a really tough time in the middle of the season.

“It hasn’t been easy but we’ve managed to get ourselves in those play-offs and head into them hopefully with most of our players fit.

“As a club we are now going forward, we might go up this year, hopefully we do and then we can get this off field stuff right and know it’s worth doing and it not going to be taken off us.”