OVERTON Rugby Club's new home at Berrydown will be known as the Ken Hogan Ground in memory of the driving force behind the project.

Ken, chairman of Overton Recreation Centre for 21 years, died suddenly in November while on holiday in South Africa with his wife Karen.

He had been instrumental in developing sports within the village and was co-ordinating the £600,000 scheme to provide the rugby club with a new home for the 2003/04 season.

The project also includes a replacement sports pavilion with shower and changing facilities and an all-weather training facility.

Ken's close friend Alan Turner has now taken over the project and says the tribute is what everyone would have wanted.

"Ken put so much into the whole project and he is not replaceable," he said. "We'll never find anyone who will be able to devote that much time and drive to the ORC and that's why we've decided to call it the Ken Hogan Ground."

On the project front, developments are well under way. The lease agreement is about to be signed with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, which has purchased the land and is leasing it back to the ORC at a peppercorn rent.

Local farmer Richard Gibbons has planted all the grass seeds as a donation to the project and borough officers were due to inspect the pitch yesterday to decide whether it would be ready to be played on by the autumn.

Overton Parish Council has agreed a £3,000 donation over the coming year.