New year, new plans for Strabane Athletic

EVERYONE associated with Strabane Athletic Football Club is looking forward to the coming year with new hope and new expectations.

While the club’s ten-year anniversary celebrations were curbed last year due to Covid, 2021 already looks exponentially brighter in terms of planning for a long-term future.

With the new stand at Melvin  due to be completed later this spring – which would allow the club to avail of promotion – plans for a new sports complex have also taken a step closer.

It is now almost eight years since Strabane Athletic announced plans to develop its very own elite sporting complex, which will include an outdoor pitch as well as Ireland’s first full size indoor 3G pitch.

Plans also included a well-being centre, community/youth facilities, associated facilities for the indoor and outdoor pitches, office accommodation, as well as conferencing, exhibition and events space.

However these plans were hampered somewhat when planners initially earmarked the club’s application for refusal, for a number of reasons.

But with planning permission now “almost secured” according to chairman, Seamus McElroy, the club can at last build up a head of steam both on and off the pitch, coronavirus restrictions pending.

“Melvin is in progress and the stand is being developed,” Mr McElroy said this week. “Our own project is on the move.

“We’re now hitting a situation where we’re going to be needing funding. Our grand draw is being held next year with £100,000 in prizes and a top prize of £60,000.

“Melvin is planned to be completed by April of this year and will be a fantastic facility for all clubs to utilise including ourselves and the hope is that we will be able to attract high profile Foyle Cup games and maybe some finals.”

Thanking all the local councillors for their hard work in supporting both Melvin and the Strahan’s Road development, Mr McElroy continued, “The SAFC development is in its early stages but after investment of over £70k, we have now planning almost secured after receiving positive feedback from the planning committee over the summer. All additional reports that were requested have now been forwarded to the planners for approval.

“This facility will allow SAFC to develop into the next tier of Irish football which will be a great opportunity for local players to play at a higher level and represent their local club.”

The club chair said whilst the project is a long-term ambition, it could eventually allow Strabane Athletic to play at the highest level, the Irish Premiership.

“We have had comments recently as to why we are developing the two facilities but as I said, the Melvin site is owned by council and although we will play there it is also available for other clubs. Also it won’t have the infrastructure to allow us to host Irish League because of concerns regarding access and parking. That’s why we feel that the long term plan was always to look at developing our own site.”

He concluded, “Because of the increased costs in planning we are asking everyone to get behind our grand draw and purchase a ticket to help the club achieve its aims at the earliest possible opportunity.”

•  To purchase a ticket for the SAFC Development Draw, contact the club through social media or by email at strabaneathleticfc@yahoo.co.uk or telephone 07745291397. Tickets cost £200 and can be paid for in installments or as a group purchase.