FANS of football know that having a home pitch gives their team an advantage.  So followers of Ripon City Panthers will be expecting great things from their favourite team as they start this season off on their very own and much improved home ground at Hell Wath Play Fields.

 

These young footballers and their supporters have worked tirelessly with Harrogate Borough Council's leisure team to realise their dream of this new £380,000 facility which includes a pavilion with four changing rooms, a social area and five improved playing pitches.  There are even female only changing facilities to cater for the growing demand for football facilities for girls' only teams.

 

Councillor Pat Jones, Cabinet Member for Cultural Services, said:  "When I took over the reigns of the leisure portfolio, one of the first things I did was to take a tour of all our leisure facilities.  It was obvious that these young footballers were desperate for a good ground.

 

"They have been going for over 20 years, with over 300 playing members aged between 8 and 16 as well as a number of qualified coaches.  I was amazed at how much effort these young people have put into realising their dream.  They deserve the best and I am glad that by all our efforts we have been able to achieve it for them.  Sadly, another long-standing commitment prevents me from being at the opening event but I am hoping that I may get invited to present them with their first winning cup at their home ground!"

 

The Mayor of the Borough of Harrogate (Councillor Caroline Bayliss) and Ripon City Panthers' President (Mr Phil Adams) will perform the opening ceremony at Hell Wath Playing Fields on Sunday, 4 September.  Special VIP guests include the Mayor of the City of Ripon (Councillor Stuart Martin) and representatives of key funding agencies including the Football Foundation, Harrogate District Safer Communities Partnership, Lafarge and Ripon City Partnership as well as other supporters of the Panthers. 

 

Club chairman Ken Rowe said:  ""The club has been working with Harrogate Borough Council for over ten years to develop this scheme. The facilities available to our members and visiting teams are amongst the best for junior football in the country and we cannot wait to start using them".

 

The launch will be followed by a club fun day including football games, training, a bouncy castle and the Green Howards.

 

 

NOTE TO EDITORS:  Funding for the overall project was made up from:

 

Football Foundation                             £248,567

Ripon City Panthers JFC                           50,000

Communities against Drugs                  30,000

Harrogate Borough Council                          20,000

 

All sponsors will be displayed on a donor board and in special recognition of support from they will have changing rooms named after the company.