DORCHESTER Town have provisionally agreed to share their ground with Dorchester Sports at the Avenue Stadium next season.

After Sports were promoted into the Dorset Premier League, they have been searching for better facilities.

Now, the Magpies have allowed them to share their ground, subject to Southern League approval.

They will play on alternate Saturdays to the Magpies throughout the season with those games being free of charge for Dorchester season ticket holders.

Dorchester Town Reserves will also play at the Avenue in the Wyvern Combination League. Those games will be played in midweek.

Magpies’ goalkeeper, Shane Murphy, was not best pleased with the news, tweeting: “Pitch is actually going to (be) ruined two months earlier than usual.”

However, club chairman Matt Lucas does not share the fears of his stopper, feeling the pitch will be able to cope with the extra workload that the announcement has created.

He said: “I don’t think there is going to be a major difference to what any other side at our side would normally deal with.

“I’m hopeful that it will be okay.

“Dorchester Sports will gain the facilities they need and it is something I am sure that they are very pleased about.

“The extra revenue that will be brought into the club will also be helpful.”

The extra income will be an added bonus to the Magpies as a deal to solve their park and ride situation is still yet to be announced after the news broke of the service ceasing last month.