£200,000 football facility in Queensbury set to open (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

£200,000 football facility in Queensbury set to open

5:00pm Thursday 2nd September 2010 in

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A junior football club has completed work on its new indoor training facility at a cost of more than £200,000.

Queensbury Celtic will hold an official opening ceremony from 2pm on Saturday, September 11, when Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe will cut the ribbon.

Over the last 20 years, club members have worked tirelessly to raise 75 per cent of the money needed for the new facility, which will benefit hundreds of children in the area.

The outer shell of the building was completed in late 2008, but the project was put on hold for about a year until more funds could be secured.

In late 2009, a £30,000 grant from West Riding Masonic Charities allowed the long-running project to resume.

The club has now finished installing a new multi-purpose sports surface – the final piece in the jigsaw. The indoor training facility will be known as Peel Hall after the chairman and co-founder Arthur Peel, who has given 30 years of dedicated service to the club.

The hall will be used by the club’s 250 boys and girls for football training every evening during the winter. The facility will also be made available for hire during the day, on winter weekends and during summer evenings.

The club said it was keen to offer the facility to local schools and community groups at subsidised rates.

Any money raised through hiring the hall will go towards phase two, which will consist of new changing rooms and a clubhouse extension.

Queensbury Celtic recently secured charity status and has also been awarded Charter Standard ‘Community Club’ status by the FA, which will also be celebrated on the opening day.

Tony Stead, a coach and fundraiser for the club, said: “The club would like to appeal to past players, members and fundraisers to attend the opening to join in the celebrations.

“Coaching demonstrations and small sided football games involving players from various squads take place in the afternoon plus activities for the kids.”