By Rory McKee
DELAYS to the installation of a new hockey surface at Bangor Aurora underline the urgent need for more facilities in the area, a senior figure at Bangor Hockey Club has said.
Club chairperson Scott Parker voiced his frustration as Bangor – one of the largest clubs in Ulster with a host of teams across senior and youth levels – remain unable to train or play at their home base. A replacement carpet, originally due to be installed by the start of August after it was found to be faulty and returned, has yet to arrive after communication was lost between the pitch supplier and the shipment company.
With limited venues locally, and even fewer floodlit options heading into winter, the club has been left in a state of limbo.
“From our point of view, it’s been very frustrating,” said Parker. “We’re one of the biggest clubs in Ulster, with six men’s teams, five ladies’ teams and a youth section of nearly 500 kids.
“It was originally meant to be finished on the 1st August but it was pushed back to September and then October. Foundation work was completed at the end of August but communication was lost between the carpet supplier and the shipment company, so we didn’t know where it was,” he explained.
“It’s £150,000 worth of kit, but the good news is the container has been found and is due into the port at Dublin imminently. Once transported to Bangor, it is expected to take two to three weeks to be laid and sanded, but that’s obviously going to be weather dependent.”
Parker added that the situation “massively demonstrates” the shortage of hockey facilities in the borough. He also emphasised the logistical challenges for players and parents alike.
“We’re having to work on a week-to-week basis, which isn’t ideal especially for parents who have kids who play different sports on different nights,” he said.
“You might have an under-9s on one pitch and an under-13s at another venue, if they’re both from the same family one of them is going to have to give way.
“We have really built up our youth section over the last decade and the number of boys and girls who have got representative honours through the good coaching they’ve received has been great. I don’t want this to have an effect on it.
“Our senior teams have also been forced to re-arrange fixtures and play on Friday nights. It has been a logistical nightmare and really needs to get sorted. The biggest thing it highlights is the lack of facilities in Bangor for the sport.
“Look at the size of Bangor and there are two floodlit hockey pitches – one at the Grammar and one at Aurora. Newtownards is a quarter of the size and has three. What we need ultimately as a club is to have two pitches side-by-side, like most of the big clubs do.
“The light is disappearing very quickly now and our youth sessions will have to stop in the next week or so. It’s put a real dampener on the youth stuff and has been very difficult to even get space to hold senior training.”
Parker continued: “The only saving grace has been Bangor Grammar. There’s other clubs who play there so it’s not as if we have preference there like we do with Aurora, but they have been working with us and if we didn’t have it we would be screwed.
“The club has been really pleased with the communication from the council, they’ve been great at keeping in touch with us every time there’s an update. It’s neither their fault nor the contractors’, it is the people who are supplying the carpet.”
A spokesperson for Ards and North Down Council said they were “aware of the ongoing delays” to the Aurora replacement pitch and “fully understands the frustration” caused to the club and wider community.
“The delays are due to issues with the delivery of the new playing surface by the contractor’s supplier,” they added.
“We are in regular contact with the contractor and are actively seeking updates and solutions to move the project forward as quickly as possible. We will provide a further update on timescales as soon as more information becomes available.”
Chris Kelly, contract manager with the Northern Community Leisure Trust, which operates Bangor Aurora, added: “I am really disappointed for the club and frustrated by the delays, but unfortunately it is a matter out of our control.”
