By Daniel Noble
A VISION to transform Bryansburn Rangers’ home ground has moved a step closer as the Bangor club bids to secure its place in Northern Ireland’s new football pyramid.
The community club is pursuing major redevelopment plans for its Ballywooley base, with upgraded facilities required for entry into the new Northern Ireland Conference League and designed to benefit local sports groups for years to come.
With funding decisions due later this year, club officials say the project would mark the biggest step forward in Bryansburn Rangers’ history and cement its role at the heart of the local community.
Bryansburn chairman Alan Dempster explained the club has recently negotiated a 25-year extension to its lease with Ards and North Down Council which will take ensure football continues at the ground until 2053. Once the lease has been signed, the club will be able to apply for the DCMS Grassroots Facilities Investment Fund grant, which could provide up to £1.5m for successful applicants.
Such funding would enable the club to complete the ground upgrades that are required for admission to the conference league – a 155 square metre changing room shower area, floodlights and a 100-seater stand.
Pitch upgrades and spectator facilities are the other areas that will need to be addressed, with successful applicants requiring artificial turf and male, female and disabled toilets.
In a step towards achieving their desired renovations, Rangers have already received planning permission for their clubhouse developments and are aiming to go above and beyond the conference necessities.
Rather than just meet the requirements for Conference Division 2, in case of any promotions within the new pyramid, they are aiming for a 185 square metre shower area and a stand big enough to house 200 people.
That shows the ambition the club holds – something Dempster has highlighted.
“When I joined the club back in 1982, we were playing junior football in the DAWFL on council pitches and based in the Bryansburn Inn. Even then, we were ambitious in terms of procuring our own ground, and hard work was rewarded with our first 25-year lease,” he said.
“Our clubhouse was officially opened in July 1995 and that was followed by
our promotion to Intermediate football in 2001. Fast forward 25 years and we remain as progressive and ambitious as ever.”
Under the guidance of Dempster, Bryansburn are making strides towards their current goals, but they could not do so without the help of volunteers and local representatives.
“I have a 22-man committee in place and we are all working extremely hard to make our dreams a reality,” he stated.
“We have the support of many of the local councillors, MLAs and our local MP, as we strive to take our club forward.
“Nothing is guaranteed, but when the decision had to be made to accept our lot or try and improve our facilities for the benefit of everyone in the local community; it was never in doubt what road we would go down.”
It is that need for locally-based facilities that is driving Rangers forward, with community at the heart of the club’s targets.
Dempster added: “In 2017, we registered as a Community Amateur Sports Club and ever since then, we are proud to have hosted many community events, whilst promoting ourselves as a genuine club for the community.
“Should we be successful in any of our funding applications, we plan to rent our facilities to local schools, football clubs and other sports clubs at a decent rate, and many of them have expressed interest in doing so.
“It is no secret that there is a lack of facilities for clubs in the North Down and Ards borough, and we are trying to do something about that.”
The Northern Ireland Conference League is set to begin next year, but if they are granted a place in Division 2, Bryansburn Rangers will have until 2033/34 to complete their renovation work.
The outcome of the DCMS grant application will be announced in September.
