From Shelsweb
Shels to relocate?
[5 February 2003 - 09:35]
Over the past years Shelbourne FC has developed a thriving Schoolboy Section which this season is fielding a total of seventeen underage teams. The club also runs ‘The Reds Academy’ in conjunction with Manchester United and is also involved in a number of initiatives to promote social inclusion.
While the Senior Section of the Club has an established base at Tolka Park, the Schoolboy Section does not and consequently has teams playing at up to six different locations around the city. This is far from being ideal and does little to promote the ‘family type’ atmosphere which the Club is striving for.
Clearly the Club needs a base where all its disparate parts can be brought together and where it can integrate into the local community. With the lack of space for development in the Drumcondra area, it is most unlikely that such a base can be established there. In recognition of this reality Shelbourne FC has had discussions with officials from Dublin City Council about identifying potential sites, under the control of the City Council, where the Club could lay down firm roots for the future, to the advantage of both the Club and the local community.
A number of potential sites have been identified on the north side of the city and one in particular, at Tolka Valley in Finglas, is currently in focus as having high potential. A process of meeting with local political representatives and with local football clubs is already underway with the objective of securing local support. Shelbourne FC has at all such meetings stressed that our objective is to develop facilities which would be available to the local community, including other football clubs.
The Club only wishes to relocate to an area where the local community is supportive of the move. Likewise the Club is under no illusions as to the scale of the task involved in relocating and accepts that any relocation would be best done in stages. Initially it would be intended to relocate the Schoolboy Section, Reds Academy and Club offices. The eventual relocation of the Senior Section of the Club from Tolka Park is the preferred option of the Club’s Board of Management, though such a relocation is considered at this time to be of secondary importance to finding a base for the burgeoning Schoolboy Section.
06/02/2003, 10:09 PM
TommyT
Heard it here first
Of course the news first broke on the Rovers Ultras site.
Bit strange shels didn't think to move a bit further away from Dalymount as Tolka is already very close to Phibsboro & Finglas ain't much further away.
