.



 

BEESTON FC CELEBRATES OPENING OF £600,000 CLUB HOUSE ON SITE STEEPED IN SPORTING TRADITION  BY CHARLIE WALKER  2 DAYS AGO

Beeston FC and Trent Vale Community Sports Association have celebrated the opening of their new £600,000 facility with some of the club’s most committed supporters.  Beeston FC, which is part of the sports association, has spent almost seven years working towards the rebuilding of the pavilion on the old Plessey sports ground on Trent Vale Road, Beeston Rylands.  And finally, on Friday, all that hard work, hundreds of hours of volunteer time and the steadfast support of partners came together in an opening ceremony, which included representatives from Broxtowe Borough Council, including the council leader Councillor Milan Radulovic and the mayor, Councillor Richard MacRae.  Also in attendance were Notts county councillors, MP Darren Henry, Reckitt Benkiser, Severn Trent Water and Notts FA, who have all championed the club in recent years or supported it financially.  

The facility includes four changing rooms and showers, community room, kitchen, bar and it has disability access throughout, with the core funding provided by the Premier League and FA Facilities Fund, through the Football Foundation.  ‘This is a fantastic moment for the club,’ said development manager, Sarah Green. ‘This facility is going to make such a huge impact on our players, but also the wider community.’Beeston FC has over 350 players playing in more than 20 girls’, boys’ and adult teams. The club has doubled in size in the last five years and is expecting to develop further in the years ahead, including the development of a disability team.

Club chairman Charles Walker said: ‘This building will give all our players a better experience, but also it helps us to create a shared culture at the club because we now have a place where we can all come together. We have never had that. ‘Our aim is to continue to develop a positive and inclusive environment in which everyone is able to play and enjoy themselves.’The building is already in use with physiotherapists Moore Movement providing sessions for people with dementia on Mondays and coaching company Evolution Soccer will be offering football holiday camps this summer.  

The site is steeped in Beeston’s history, being the scene of sporting triumphs – and no doubt disasters – over decades, when it was the playing fields of Ericsson and Plessey, which employed 7,000 people.  

Brian Chamberlain, the groundsman for 40 years, joined the opening ceremony to see the ground, which legendary cricketer Sir Garfield Sobers once graced, returned to its former glory.  Walker said the club was very proud to take over as custodian of the site and continue the long sporting tradition.  The site, which is protected by covenant, was initially earmarked for improvement in 2014 as part of a wider development scheme, but the project was shelved after a new developer took over.However, the club never gave up on the dream and volunteer Leroy Payne developed a new team to have another go in 2018.  

This time, with the support of the whole club, as well as the local Community Payback Team, Trent Vale Squash Club, which is also on the site and the other member of the sports association, local councillors, and sponsors, like John Pye Auctioneers, B1st Scaffolding and The Star, the scheme has been completed            



                      ***********************************************

Beeston FC play in the Notts Senior League Division One

Ilkeston Town FCB play in the Notts Senior League Premier Division