Vagabonds - The Future .......

UPDATE 10th JULY 2006

Copy of press article...........

Two football pitches, two rugby pitches and at least one cricket square. Not just a list of the ingredients required in making a Sky Sports television schedule but the facilities earmarked for a proposed new sports development at Ballafletcher.

The 14-acre site near the new Noble’s Hospital is being lined up as the new home of Vagabonds rugby and cricket clubs and Douglas Royal and Corinthians football clubs.

With all three growing and the facilities at their current home of Noble’s Park straining as a result the three clubs began searching for a new site to accommodate their expanding needs.

When the prison development was re-located from Ballafletcher to its current site of Jurby the three clubs were among a number who expressed an interest in utilising the now unallocated site on the outskirts of Douglas .

The trio approached the Department of Tourism and Leisure and the Isle of Man Sports Council have given their support to proposals as it falls under its Eastern Pitches Plan.

If successful with their forthcoming planning application the three will lease the land in the same way the trio currently do from Douglas Corporation at Noble’s Park.

Apart from aforementioned grass pitches the clubs are also hopeful of securing enough land to place a third generation Astroturf pitch, which it is hoped will help turn the project into the biggest sports centre on the Island after the NSC.

The development will also have an eight-dressing room clubhouse and an adjacent bar to be run and staffed by Vagabonds. These will be serviced by a 100-space car park, which will be accessible from the hospital side of the site.

All three clubs are eager to emphasise how much the site will benefit the local community and it is hoped that the move will assist each clubs’ aspiring youth teams and become a key sports development centre on the Island.

Corinthians alone have an impressive tally of 13 junior boys and girls teams up to under 17 level. With the new facilities, and the ease of accessibility to the site by the number of bus routes that serve it, it is hoped these numbers will grow even further.

The development will also be available to the community when the clubs aren’t using them.

‘We really want to make it a community project, not just for the clubs but for the local community as a whole.’ Allan Thompson chairman of Vagabonds commented.

All three clubs have been working together from the inception of the development to ensure each gets the most from the site.

John Leece chairman of Douglas Royal and Tony Mepham his counterpart at Corinthians joins Thompson on what has become known as the steering committee. This meets regularly to make sure the project is headed in the right direction and to recap its progress.

The three teams have also formed the Ballafletcher Trust, which has been set up to look after the budgetary and financial side of the project.

As you can imagine for a project of this size to get off the ground a lot of funding is required. The English RFU have already agreed to give some financial help and the two football clubs involved have begun negotiations with the English Football Associations Football Foundation, who have supported other projects in the Island, in an attempt to gain further monetary assistance.

The large part of the project’s finance, however, will come from sponsorship and the clubs own fund raising initiatives.

With this is mind the clubs held a sportsmen’s dinner at the Hilton Hotel last Friday, with guest of honour 1966 World Cup winner Martin Peters. All money raised from this and the auction of football memorabilia that was also held during the evening will be used to kick-start the clubs’ building funds.

However, construction is still a long way off. Basic plans have only been recently submitted for planning permission and with more detailed drawings expected to follow in the next few weeks it will be several months before the clubs will know if the planners have given them the green light.

‘It’s been five years in the making to get to this stage, so hopefully all three clubs hard work will pay dividends soon.’ Thompson added.

If all does go to plan to first turf would be turned in April next year with the clubs hopefully settling in to their new home for September 2008. 

Updated: 20th February 2006

Vagabonds are hoping to move to new purpose built facilities within the next few years.

The area known as ‘Ballafletcher’ is being developed as a sports facility by the Department of Tourism and Leisure.  Vagabonds have been offered 2 rugby pitches, a cricket square and shared changing facilities.  The Club itself would erect a clubhouse.

The timescale of the project is still rather unknown as it is dependent on Government funding.  However Vagabonds have been advised that there may be funding available in the forthcoming year 2006/2007.  If this is so, then we will be seeking detailed planning approval in May.

We have recently had one of the top ground development specialists over from the UK who did a survey on the proposed pitches.  His recommendations are to start the ground works in April 2007, seeding by the autumn of 2007 and hopefully playing on the pitch for the 2008/2009 season.

The design of the clubhouse and changing facilities is ongoing.  Once funding and design are near completion, these will be presented to the membership for their approval.

As more information becomes available, this page will be updated - watch this space !!