Newport IW Football Club will remain ground-sharing at Cowes Sports’ Zilch Waste Stadium (Westwood Park) for the entirety of the 2025/26 season.
The arrangement was initially intended to cover only the opening fixtures of the campaign, but delays in completing the club’s long-promised ground at the Racecourse in Whippingham mean the ground-share will now continue for the full season. The move ensures Newport IW can fulfil their home fixtures while construction on the new stadium progresses, though supporters must wait longer than anticipated for a permanent home.
A Cowes Sports spokesperson said:
“As a community club, we recognise the importance of supporting fellow members of the football family. While Newport IW are, of course, our rivals on the pitch, we understand the challenges they face off it. We believe this agreement benefits both clubs and ensures that local football continues to thrive.”
Cowes Sports co-manager Ian Potts commented:
“I’m pleased to see Newport all sorted with Westwood. The club are happy to help them out. It’s good for Island football and hopefully they can get their ground sorted and go forward.”
The Newport IW Supporters Association added:
“On behalf of everyone at the club, we would like to thank Cowes Sports for welcoming us at The Zilch Waste Stadium and agreeing to the extended ground-share for the 2025/26 season. Their understanding ensures that the Island football community can continue to field three strong teams at Wessex League level, and gives us the breathing space we need while South Coast Leisure completes the final stage of our stadium project.”
Article continues below this advertisement
Since vacating their former home at St George’s Park, the Newport has relied on multiple ground-shares. They shared East Cowes Vics’ Beatrice Avenue ground and Ryde Saints’ Smallbrook Stadium before returning to Beatrice Avenue for the 2023/24 season. The temporary Zilch Waste Stadium arrangement, initially planned only for the opening fixtures, has now been extended to cover home games for the remainder of the season.
The Whippingham development, first proposed in 2017, has missed multiple deadlines, frustrating supporters who have waited years for a permanent venue.
The current situation raises wider questions. Will the Wessex League authorities continue to allow Newport to remain without a permanent ground? And at what point will supporters and officials alike lose patience with promises that have yet to be delivered?
What is the holdup then? Nothing done for months now….
SCL do not have the money.
It is pretty obvious that South Coast Leisure do not have the money to build the new stadium and the IOW Council really dropped the ball by allowing Newport IW Football Club to be evicted from their old ground before the new stadium was built or even have real penalties included in the planning permission that would have cost SCL money for late delivery.
Another island “balls” up.
More importantly for supporters and Club where has all the money promised gone?in whose pockets let’s face it The Island Council over decades has consistently been outed for most corrupt in UK and nothing has ever been done or a Councillor bought to book,follow the money trail it always talks