ALL CHANGE AT BONNY BLUES AND BORO RANGERS

Changes ahead to grounds for the upcoming season

There are major changes for two of our first division teams – Penrith and newly-promoted Boro Rangers.

Penrith are in the process of an £850,000+ redevelopment of their pitch with an expected completion date in the middle of September and have “sustainability” on their mind with the hopes of making the club a more cohesive unit.

“Sustainability has been a challenge since relocating from a town centre position at our ancestral Southend Road ground in 2009,” said club chairman Billy Williams. “On relocating we ran only three teams and now 33.  Being a couple of miles out of town has had a big effect on attendances, so financially this became the sensible approach as well as hopefully becoming the glue that bonds the club, teams, and volunteers together.

“The match day experience will change as all football followers will agree it is a different type of football, however, there may be occasions when junior games are also played before a first team game.

 “We have encountered many challenges since relocation, not helped by the initial developers going bankrupt which resulted in us not getting the facility promised. We have added three extensions and many confrontations with our landlords, the local council. However, hopefully, this new development will result in a more settled era for the club.

“The completion date is expected to be around mid-September then a two-week testing period by the FA.”

Billy has also confirmed that an outside catering area is being developed, with the aim of having it completed for the initial opening.

Meanwhile, Boro Rangers are preparing for life in their third home in the last two seasons, with their new ground at Phoenix Park Middlesbrough offering a more permanent abode.

“We’re delighted, and very proud, to become the first club since Middlesbrough FC way back in the late 1800s to play football at this level in Middlesbrough,” said club founder and chairman Mark Curtis. “A lot of people still think that South Bank were the last; however, being from the area, I know that South Bank is part of Redcar and Cleveland.

“We were hoping that the ground would have been completed by the end of July; unfortunately, there is delay to the delivery of the new stand – we are now expecting it to arrive in September.  Incredibly, it only impacts on three home matches, which the Northern League have very kindly re-arranged for us. The new stand will be for 200 spectators – 100 seating and 100 standing.

“We are under no illusions that, despite now moving to our new ground, it will still take a considerable amount of time for us to get our home exactly how we want it.  The whole site has huge potential and, together with all parties pulling in the same direction, we are extremely confident that we can realise our ambitions at Phoenix Park Middlesbrough.

“We were happy and settled at MFC Foundation’s Herlingshaw Centre, but we could only wait so long for them to develop their facilities – ultimately, for whatever reason, it never happened and so we were forced to look elsewhere.

“The timing couldn’t have been any better – NPCAT had already planned to upgrade their facilities at Trinity for their new T6 Football Academy to utilise during the working week, so us moving our 76-team club there on an evening and a weekend made perfect sense for all concerned.  We wish to place on record our gratitude to NPCAT for welcoming us and being so accommodating.

“It is my belief that our move to Stokesley, after playing only three matches at New Ferens Park, was a significant factor in us achieving promotion last season; for that we will be eternally grateful to Stokesley Sports Club and, in particular, Ted Watts.”