Chesham United request away start to season amid Meadow pitch works

Chesham United will begin the 2026-27 National League South season away from home after asking the league to schedule their opening fixtures on the road while extensive pitch renovation work is carried out at The Meadow.

According to The Non-League Football Paper, the Buckinghamshire club are already playing every one of their pre-season friendlies away this summer because of the scale of the groundwork under way at their home ground.

Long-serving co-manager James Duncan believes the disruption will pay off in the long run, even if it means a demanding early-season away run once the National League South fixture list is published.

Fixtures still to be confirmed

The full National League South schedule is due to be released next week, and Duncan admitted he is waiting to see exactly how the away-heavy start will shape up.

“The fixtures are out next week, so we’ll see!” Duncan told The Non-League Football Paper, before acknowledging the tough nature of the division his side face this season.

He added that the league is “very competitive,” with “big-hitters and full-time” clubs among the sides Chesham will come up against as they aim to establish themselves at this level.

Pitch renovation at The Meadow

The decision to shift the club’s opening matches away stems directly from the significant work being undertaken on the playing surface at The Meadow over the summer break.

Non-league clubs regularly have to plan around ground improvements during the close season, but the scale of Chesham’s project has forced the club to rethink their entire pre-season and early-fixture planning rather than simply postponing a handful of home dates.

By fronting up their calendar with away fixtures, Chesham hope to give the new pitch the best possible chance to bed in before National League South football returns to The Meadow.

What it means for the campaign

Chesham will be hoping the temporary sacrifice of home advantage does not prove too costly against a division that Duncan has already flagged as one of the toughest at this level, featuring clubs with full-time playing budgets.

The club’s supporters will now await confirmation of the fixture list to discover exactly how many games United must play away before The Meadow is ready to host National League South football once again.

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