By Peter Tremayne

Fans of Truro City football club will have to travel to Taunton for home matches until the rest of the current season.

In recent years Truro’s footballers have had to play home matches in Plymouth – leading to a dramatic decline in attendances.

Today’s news that home matches will, for the next few months at least, be played at the Wordsworth Drive home of Taunton football club has been met with dismay.  Supporters now face a 250-mile round trip to watch their team play for 90 minutes.

Truro City has ambitions to return to Cornwall in August.  But this assumes that Cornwall Council will successfully create an FA-approved playing pitch by next month.

The construction of a 3,000-capacity “mini stadium” at Langarth still does not even have planning permission.

A club statement said:  “As you are aware, unfortunately we have not been able to play a number of home fixtures at Bolitho Park  (Plymouth) this season. In the circumstances, we have made the decision to move our remaining home games this season away from Bolitho Park.

"Our match against Eastbourne Borough will now take place this coming Saturday, February, 10, at Wordsworth Drive (Taunton.)

“The home fixture next Tuesday, February 13, against Dover Athletic will not take place on this date, and will be rescheduled to a date to be confirmed, later in the season.

“This decision to move was not made lightly, and we recognise that in some ways it makes it even more difficult for our incredibly loyal supporters to be with us in our last matches outside Cornwall.

“However, we consider that this temporary arrangement will help the club to best meet our remaining match day commitments for this season.

“With such a momentous return home now confirmed for this summer, our time and energy away from the pitch is focused on making the imminent move to our brand-new facility at Langarth the best it can possibly be, for you, our fans, as well as for our players and staff.

Truro City fans will have plenty of room in the 2,500 capacity Taunton ground.  Truro's "home" matches in recent years have typically attracted only a few hundred.  The team is currently struggling near the foot of the National League South.  Other football clubs in Cornwall are wondering why County Hall is not spending £11 million to create improved "home" facilities for them, too

“The club would like to place on record our considerable thanks to the National League for their support since the takeover.  We’d also like to thank Taunton Town, who have generously allowed us to see out our last few months in exile at their storied facility.

“In the coming weeks, we will have more news to bring you regarding our return to Truro, but in the meantime, we are committed to finishing the season as strongly as possible and building for an incredibly bright future.

“At home, in Truro, in Cornwall, where we belong.”

County Hall’s commercial business plan for its Langarth “mini stadium” assumes improbably large attendances by supporters, backed by generous sponsors.

Today’s news that Truro is now even further away from Cornwall makes the business plan seem even more fantastic.

petertremayne@cornwallreports.co.uk