Stadium dream becomes a reality for Thamesmead Town

Tuesday 05th May 2009

WORK finally begun today on the development of Sporting Club Thamesmead, the youth and community sports facility at Thamesmead Town Football Club.

At a groundbreaking ceremony, Rt Hon Lord Pendry, President of the Football Foundation, handed over the final donation cheque of £1m to Trust Thamesmead Chief Executive, Mick Haynes and the Trust's Chair, Vic Grimes.

Trust Thamesmead, the development agency leading the project, and Thamesmead Town Football Club's long-held dream of creating first class outdoor sporting facilities in Thamesmead then became reality with the ceremonial breaking of the ground and construction beginning next Monday.

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME: Bayliss Avenue will look completely different in a year's time.
Plans courtesy of www.trust-thamesmead.co.uk

Manager Keith McMahon gave a stirring presentation, detailing how far the club has come from near bankruptcy to being on a sound footing today by investing in the youth of Thamesmead, a fact emphasised by nine players in the first team squad aged 18 or under.

"This facility will enable the club and the community to develop and become stronger," McMahon said in the club statement, sent to www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

"Despite the difficult financial climate, this outcome, which is the result of a lot of hard work over a number of years, will allow Trust Thamesmead to build Sporting Club Thamesmead, a new community multi sports hub on the site of Thamesmead Town Football Club.

"The new facility will provide an iconic community sports pavilion with changing facilities, indoor activity rooms and social facilities available to all residents of Thamesmead.

"Outside there will be a new full size floodlit synthetic turf pitch for year round community football and other sports, a full sized senior grass football pitch with a new spectators arena and ancillary grass pitches in the adjacent Crossways Park, and a floodlit Multi Use Games Area available for a wide range of sports and activities.

"The scheme also features enhanced parking and access to the site, as well as improved spectator facilities for supporters and members of Thamesmead Town FC."

Vic Grimes, Trust Thamesmead's Chair, commented: "I'm very pleased that work is to start on a project which will provide a step change in sports provision in Thamesmead.

“None of this would've been possible without the solid support we have received from Bexley Council's Members and Officers during the past four years.

“This coupled with the fantastic response from the Football Foundation, the HCA (Homes and Communities Agency) and our other funders means that Thamesmead will have at last have the quality facility it has been sorely lacking for so long.”

Full details of the project can be found at www.thamesmeadtownfc.co.uk and www.trust-thamesmead.co.uk