This paves the way for the Ryman League Premier Division club to sell the lease on their long-standing home. They plan to move four miles away to the Copthall Athletics Stadium in nearby Mill Hill. More than 1,100 signatures have been collected on a petition supporting the plans.

Hendon chairman Ivor Arbiter said: "This is wonderful news as it secures the future of the club. There is still a great deal of work to be done but we have got our planning permission through. We hope to be playing at Copthall from the beginning of next season.

"Our new home has wonderful dressing rooms and a lovely cantilever stand for 600-700 people. It is a fantastic setting for football and athletics. We have to comply with Ryman League grading requirements but I don't think that will be too much of a problem.

"Former Olympic athlete David Bedford is now our vice-chairman so he is familiar with both soccer's needs and athletics' needs.

"He is co-ordinating the project. We seem to be working very well with the athletics people - Shaftesbury Harriers - at Copthall. They will be pleased to have us there and we will be able to co-exist together.

"Copthall Stadium still needs some renovation work. Barnet Council haven't got the money to upgrade the facilities so we will be doing that. The only drawback is that our supporters cannot stand behind the goals, but we might be able to fix that by placing boards on the running track."

Claremont Road served Hendon magnificently over the years but has become an outdated facility in the modern era. The costs of keeping the crumbling stadium in working order are now prohibitive.

Arbiter said: "The main stand is wood and all the footings have gone. The covered terracing on the far side of the pitch is all falling away. I doubt if we would get a safety certificate again for next season.

"Claremont Road has had it, I'm afraid. It just needs a lot of money spent on it to bring the facilities up to the required standard and there is no way to source that funding.

"So I am very excited about the ground move. Copthall is a beautiful 500 acre site, right in the middle of North London at the start of the M1 motorway with good sign posting.

"There is also rugby, athletics and golf on site so there is going to be significant grass roots development in all sports. We are investing in the community by making this move and we believe it will help us take Hendon FC forward.

"We refused promotion to the new Nationwide South this year because we wanted to regroup and sort out our ground situation. We have to work within our means as a small club. We don't have massive gates and big sponsorship deals.

"So we decided to build from the bottom rather than race ahead and spend much more than we could afford. There was simply no other way that the club could survive. But now I feel that Hendon's future will be secure at Copthall for years to come."

Arbiter is a music businessman who built his fortune selling Fender guitars. He hopes to hit the right note at Copthall.

Other Grassroots News

Brazilian legend Socrates is set to join Garforth Town of the Northern Counties East League as player-coach on a one month deal. The 50 year old retired from playing 14 years ago, but is a friend of Garforth owner Simon Clifford. The Yorkshire club have already signed former Manchester United and Leeds pin-up boy Lee Sharpe.

BBC TV Royle Family celebrity Ralph Little has signed for Edgware Town. He joined the Ryman Division Two club after appearing in Sky One's 'The Match'.

Former Northern Ireland striker Jimmy Quinn, 45, has signed as a player for Nantwich Town in the North West Counties League. Quinn recently left Shrewsbury Town as manager.