It’s not often that you speak to a football club vice-chairman who scored a hat-trick in a 9-2 league cup fixture win a couple of days earlier. In grassroots clubs though, multi-tasking is the rule, which is why, as well as banging in the goals on a Saturday, James Blackburn is also part of the committee that runs Threemilestone FC. Three miles (hence the name) from Cornwall’s county town of Truro, Threemilestone FC play in the St Piran League Division One West. However, they are currently exiled from their village as the local council redeveloped the playing fields that were the club’s home for many years. Instead they play ‘home’ games down the road in Truro’s Boscawen Park.
That left them detached from the fans that would otherwise turn out to support the team and deprived of vital match day food and beverage revenues. The good news is that they received financial compensation from the local council for being displaced, and instead of building a new pitch right in the middle of the village, chose to put their funds towards the stadium that has been built across the road for Truro City FC of the National League South.
That looks like a very smart move. Truro City were themselves exiled from their home after their ground was redeveloped and, after three years away, returned to a multi-million-pound, 3,000 capacity stadium located in Langarth. The area, slated for a new residential development that will ultimately be home to 10,000 people, is effectively an extension of Threemilestone and will be a very valuable source of new supporters over the medium-term. James says that: “We will be playing on the new 3G community pitch which is right next to the Truro City stadium. We’ll be able to practice on it during the week and then have it for matches on a Saturday. We should be there for the start of the 2025 season.”
Surprisingly, given that Truro is effectively Cornwall’s capital, apart from Truro City, Threemilestone is the only club within striking distance of the city. As James says:“We have a great catchment area. The Langarth development will bring in lots more people and we have Richard Lander (the local secondary school) and Truro College on the doorstep. Now we’ve got this base, this is here we start building again.”
The club has also been busy gathering financial support from local businesses and have had some good success already. Commercial vehicle dealership P. Perryman & Sons, run by a local family, have committed to a three-year kit sponsorship deal. In addition, local handyman business OJB, run by former Threemilestone player, Ollie Barter, has come on board as a sponsor. And in a deal that must have been music to the ears of hungry players, top-rated local fish and chip shop Kellaways have been announced as front-of-shirt sponsors. James says: “We’re really happy with the support we’ve received from local companies and the community and hopefully this is just the start. Even down to the quizzes we do to raise funds,where about 15 local businesses donated prizes. People have really stepped up to back us.”
And there was much excitement last week when the club collected this season’s new Kappa kit. James says that: “We chose a kit off the website and really liked the design we went for. It’s not the most common colour scheme – blue and yellow – but it looks like a classic old Boca Juniors kit. We went for it straight away and didn’t look back.
We were surprised, and very pleased, to see that everything is going to be embroidered rather than stuck on. It looks so much nicer. It stood out and we know Kappa is very good quality. We’re really excited to get it. It’s going to be one of the best kits that Threemilestone have ever had.”
