That’s the verdict of Bognor bosses Michael Birmingham and Jamie Howell after the club was given Arun District Council planning permission to go ahead with the £1.2million project to transform the facilities at the ground.

An application for the new synthetic surface was given unanimous support this week meaning that once the Football Foundation funding is confirmed — with a percentage of the total amount needed being met by the club — the Rocks will lay the pitch in the summer ahead of the 2025/26 season.

The benefits will enable year-round usage, benefiting not only the first team but boys, girls, walking and disability football, and local community groups and will generate essential income through hire fees, providing financial stability and supporting the club’s operations.

And the 3G green-light is a huge fillip for the management duo as they set about their squad rebuild ahead of what looks increasingly like a term culminating in relegation from the Isthmian premier division for the second-from-bottom Rocks.

The current squad members know they are under scrutiny for the reminder of the season — and are in the spotlight once more away at Whitehawk tomorrow — as to whether or not they are retained. And no doubt certain players have ambition to stay at step three level and will move on to pursue that aim.

But Birmingham argues that reshaping the profile of the group over the summer shouldn’t be quite so challenging thanks to the impending Nye Camp transformation.

The former Bognor midfielder said: “It’s fantastic news having been given the go-ahead for the new pitch; it’s going to be great and we will have an extra incentive for academy players. You’ve already got Chichester, Horsham and Worthing with the same facility and they have already got academies set up with a conveyor belt in place.

“This (the 3G pitch) should help us get local lads from the West Sussex and Portsmouth areas where they would have that incentive of representing the club. It’s great news in what has been a depressing season for everyone associated with the club. We’re looking forward to it. It’ll be great that we can dangle the carrot for targets which me and Jamie have got.

“We will be speaking to these players very, very soon. Now we have got the news of the go-ahead it should make attracting players a lot easier. We don’t know what league we will be in next season but we will continue to fight tooth and nail to maintain step three, but if we do go to step four we will do so with unbelievable facilities where we can make sure we promote the club and try to get it back to where it should be.”

Howell. a former Rocks schemer and who has managed the club previously, praised those who toiled tirelessly to facilitate the historic step. He added: “We’re really delighted to get it over the line. Lots of credit must go to Russ Chandler, Jack Pearce, Simon Cook and Mike and Carol Taylor, who have worked so hard behind the scenes to get to where we are in terms of the academy set-up with the 3G in mind — with the goals of integrating the youth set-up with the first team and the wider community.

“We’re really pleased that we can give a platform for the younger players in the area to come and want to be at Bognor and not go anywhere else. We will have everything in place to offer them a really good pathway to men’s football at a fantastic football club. I’m so pleased we got it over the line and I am really looking forward to the future.”