PARK CELTIC FOOTBALL CLUB
DISCUSSION DOCUMENT RE DEVELOPMENT OF PLAYING AND
CHANGING FACILITIES
14th May 2007
Introduction
Park Celtic Football Club was established in 1988. It commenced with four teams. By
1995 we had 18 teams with 240 playing membership, ranging in ages from under 8 to
under 15. In 2007 we have 31 teams comprising of 415 players, ranging in ages from
under seven all the way up to competitive senior teams. We also through our academy
development programme cater for 112 boys and girls ranging in from ages 5 to 7
years of age.
Our mini world cup, run during June, is open to children in the vicinity and attracts
several hundred children from the locality. Our popular summer camp runs in August.
Many club members are within walking distance from the park in Cabinteely. As you
are aware the hinterland Cabinteely, in terms of population, has expanded
considerably over the past decade. Cabinteely Park is an excellent recreational
amenity and Park Celtic is an integral part of the provision of sporting activity within
the locality.
However, several challenges currently face us and restrict both the continued
enjoyment of football within the club as well as the likely future growth to cater for
the inevitable increase in demand:
1. Poor playing surface. The playing surface currently, probably as a
consequence of over-use, is very poor. Also it is severely sloped restricting
proper utilisation of the general playing. While attempts have been made to
dress this surface over the last number of years the simple reality is that
drainage is inadequate and the surface as a consequence has deteriorated
rapidly. As our teams have progressed in age, and many players have
remained within the Club, the surface of the largest playing field is now
wholly inadequate for both the quality and standard of football being played
by both our underage teams and senior teams. Our teams compete at the
highest levels within the Dublin District Schoolboy League and the South
Dublin League. Our senior teams compete in the Leinster Senior League and
currently use Kilbogget Park. Solution: the entire playing surface needs to
be fully levelled, with proper drainage installed and new turf sown, and
the trees in the vicinity trimmed to improve drainage. We fully accept this
will leave us out of the park for 18 months and short term contingency
can be agreed with local clubs both in Meadowvale and Kilbogget and St
Laurences school.
2. Insufficient number of pitches. Based on the current population of the Club,
to fully house the Club within the park at Cabinteely in our view, requires two
junor pitches, two seven-a-side pitches with ideally an additional training area.
This area or at least one of the seven-a-side pitches should be an all-weather
surface allowing training at weekends, particularly for the 7-10 year olds
without damaging the other playing surfaces. This would greatly improve the
quality of the other playing surfaces by providing a proper training facility
within the confines of the Club. Solution: In the attached appendix we
outline where an additional two pitches could be obtained through
levelling the ground across from the clubhouse and through granting of
additional land in an area adjacent to current pitches with no walkway
and which is not used for any other purpose. In additional an astro
playing area could alternatively be considered adjacent to the playground
and could be used by parents and children wen not in use by the Club.
3. Insufficient changing and Club facilities. Our clubhouse is an old converted
base station. As Park Celtic has expanded, it is wholly inappropriate for the
older teams not to have larger and better changing facilities. In particular, the
lack of showering facilities is often remarked upon by both parents of our
older players and by visiting teams. As a community club we foster
participation from both boys and girls, the lack of direct, available, visible
toilet facilities for girls is increasingly an issue raised by parents within the
Club. Lastly, it is important in the under-age groups, particularly seven, eight
and nine-year olds that there is an appropriate shelter and drop-off area for
children. Currently the Clubhouse is out of sight of the main park and it is
therefore wholly inappropriate for this purpose. Solution: We propose that
the existing clubhouse is knocked down and a purpose-built clubhouse
erected, extending the areas to the front and again on two levels resulting
in a building of 5,000 square feet. Again, we would be happy to raise
matching private funds from businesses and persons within the locality on
a clear understanding that the Council would give us a long-term licence
to operate this premises. Alternatively the lodge at the Brennanstown
Road entrance could provide an alternative and we believe more suitable
location given the number of young children.
4. Development Plan. The Club, therefore, would like to engage in a
development plan with the sanction and assistance of the Council in order to
address the above three points. At the outset we would like to agree in
principle what is possible in terms of both pitch expansion, drainage and
resurfacing and agree a mutually acceptable solution. We would then like to
agree the development of a new clubhouse and discuss the possibility of a
small ( 5-7 a side) all weather training facility. We are happy to engage
professional consultants to propose a detailed development plan abut first need
an agreed approach with the Council. The Club currently has a surplus of close
to €50,000 and plans to raise a war-chest of €100,000 to fund development
plans. We have discussed with many local businesses additional contributions
but need an agreed development plan to motivate and focus same. We fully
accept the necessity of the Council to retain and own all property and will be
happy to operate under a licensed basis. In this regard, such a development
plan would represent an appropriate public/private partnership in the best spirit
of development of voluntary recreational sporting activities within the
community. We are also seeking your support to make an application under
the 2008 Sports Capital Programme, which closes on 24 November 2007. It is
therefore appropriate that we ensure that our goals are in keeping with the
Council’s long-term goals of developing the park and that our development
plans in their entirety are in keeping with said Council plans.
Current Position of Pitches
This shows the poor current use of space and even from the air the wear on pitches is evident.
Appendix II
Simple Immediate Solution
Level waste area- creating split level, and new 7 a side, level adjacent area, creating new path access to a new 7 a side and a training area to
reduce pitch wear. The latter area is secluded and does not interfere with general park amenity.
Appendix III
Overview of Proposed Development & Alternatives
An overview of the Park with alternative locations (broken lines) for new clubhouse or astro training areas. The area adjacent to playground
could be designed as a multi-surface recreational area for use when not used by Park Celtic.