Football's coming home for Atherstone Rangers as civic team pitches in with funds to foster future talent

GRANT AID KICKSTARTS GROWTH OF MORE SPORTING FACILITIES IN 'PERMANENT' SETTING

GRAND PLAN FOR PLAYING FIELDS OF ALL FOUR TOWN ORGANISATIONS TO BE 'IN ONE PLACE'

HOPES of unearthing home-grown heroes on a par with Paul Broadhurst and Les Green have been given a massive boost in a joint venture designed to make four of Atherstone's sports organisations "feel at home".

The project – with considerable civic backing – aims to show the budding talent of tomorrow there is a future for them "here today" on the town's playing fields, organisers told Nub News.

And the development of facilities at Royal Meadow Drive literally means building from the ground up to "embrace" the quartet of football, rugby, hockey and cricket – catering for more than 500 youngsters in total.

The latest stage of Atherstone Sports Club's grand plan involves giving the footballers of Atherstone Rangers more "good quality" pitches to cater for their 22 teams, playing in age groups from four to 16.

At the moment the teams have to use three different facilities – at Royal Meadow Drive, across the Ratcliffe Road at 3M, and The Queen Elizabeth Academy.

But over the last fortnight 17,000 square metres of former rugby facilities at Royal Meadow Drive have been excavated, levelled and a 30-ton digger brought in to redistribute the top soil to enable the creation of a new 11-a-side football pitch along with pitches for nine-a-side, seven-a-side and five-a-side. All the work has been carried out by Fairways landscapers from Solihull.

Rangers chairman Steve Matthews said: "We were established in 1974 and have never really had a permanent home.

"We have played matches at various venues across the town but with the growth in teams and with the success over the years, we need to find facilities that would enable us to meet the requirements of the leagues we play in, particularly for 11-a-side games.

"Being part of Atherstone Sports Club has allowed us to access changing facilities as well as post-match facilities for food however not all teams have been able to benefit from this due to pitch capacity.

"This development will enable us to create better unity between all age groups."

The cost of the works – which is a joint collaboration between the sports club and North Warwickshire Borough Council – has received a cash boost from the specialist grant funding provided by local councillors Denise and Tony Clewes, Dawn Downes, Neil Dirveiks, Ray Jarvis and Mejar Singh.

Councillors Denise Clews, Downes, Jarvis and Singh were on site for the first excavation.

The re-orientating of the rugby pitch – Atherstone Ruby Club being without a second XV at the moment – has involved striping off and stacking the top soil, and then using a laser level to create a solid sub soil which will be compacted. Once this has been completed, the top soil will be replaced and prepared for the surface high quality sports grade grass seed to be sown.

Once the initial work has been completed, the existing rugby pitch will be re-sited to provide more space for junior rugby training and matches

In the next four weeks, the wooden bridge that currently joins the Royal Meadow Drive facilities with the cricket field is being replaced with a substantial metal one which has been built and is waiting erection. This will give a new pathway around the boundary, rather than across its edges.

The whole redevelopment was originally thwarted by storms in the spring and then Covid-19.

Mr Matthews added: "It will be fantastic for our youngsters to play on good quality pitches which we can maintain to a high standard.

"We are looking forward to welcoming teams from Birmingham, Coventry and Leicester leagues to our new facilities.

"We know they will be impressed by the set up. Once completed, we can be proud of our new home and continue to go from strength to strength."

Under 11s and nines manager Chris Carmody added: "We currently spread our 22 teams over three pitches.

"This gives us the opportunity to cut that down to two – here at Royal Meadow Drive and 3M."

Atherstone Rugby Club vice chairman Julie Douglas told Nub News: "This is a chance to bring the sports of football, rugby, hockey and cricket together in one place.

"At the moment the hockey club is based at the Academy but, looking to the future, it would be nice to have all four sporting organisations – Atherstone Rangers, Atherstone Rugby Club, Adders Hockey Club and Atherstone Cricket Club – down here."