Canterbury City Football Club’s continuing success story will force the first team to move home from Bridge.

Should the side maintain winning momentum and follow-up last season’s promotion with another from the Vandanel Kent County League’s Division 1 East, they will kick-off the 2009-10 campaign at Hersden Recreation Ground which meets the ground criteria demanded by the management committee for Premier Division clubs.

Hersden’s facilities were approved two years ago when Tyler Hill were poised to step up to the Premier Division before the club folded.

Canterbury chairman Phil Knight said: “If we are promoted, we will leave Bridge with a heavy heart because we have been made so welcome, although our youth and reserve teams will remain.

“Unfortunately, Bridge Recreation Ground does not meet with the criteria demanded by the Kent County League for Premier Division clubs.

“At Hersden, there is a wider pitch, it is more enclosed and most importantly, possesses the required ground grading, so there would be no problem in what would be a straightforward move. But we’re not counting our chickens because first we have to win promotion.”

Plans for City’s purpose-built complex at Ridlands Farm remain unaffected.

Knight added: “The key thing is that the original money made available from the old stadium is in the bank so that is at the ready.

“We have a private investor who is as keen as ever while everything I’ve heard back from the council is positive. We’re still looking at being ready in 2011.”

City play a Kent Intermediate Challenge Shield tie against Otford at Canterbury High School on Saturday (kick-off 1.30pm).