Athlone Town's Dream Home Is One Step Closer

by Kevin O'Neill, Westmeath Independent

The bid to build Athlone Town Football Club's new stadium at Lissywoolen on the Ballymahon Road has taken another step in the right direction with the establishment of a high-powered Project Team. Fronted by local business-man, Tom Burke, whose originally from Church Street in the town and is a former Managing Director of Gateaux, the eight-strong Project Team are responsible for initiating fundraising projects and ideas to raise money for the ground development.

Since the official launch of the new stadium, Mr. Burke spent the last few weeks approaching possible candidates for his team that will hold its first official meeting on Monday night. "It is important that we keep the public fully informed about the project because we desperately need their help to achieve our ultimate goal. At this stage, an eight-strong Project Team is perfect because we want quality and not quantity. The faces will be revealed at our first meeting but I can assure people that this is a high-calibre team with proven ability in a professional and commercial sense. We have the right mix.

"The stadium must happen and I believe there's a huge amount of good will towards the project. But it has to be managed right and professionally, otherwise people won't support it. These fresh faces will boost the project and people will know we're serious," said Tom, who added that the team will work independently of the club but will have one person in constant liaison between them and the club board.

MILLIONS
Mr. Burke, who now lives in Dublin, believes that the entire project will cost in the region of €4 million over a three-year period. The club has already received Government funding to the tune of €1 million for phase one of the project. But Mr. Burke says that will not be enough. "The first phase has to be completed by March of next year. I expect we'll need another €500,000 to complete that phase. It will be hard work to raise it but it's very possible," he said. To raise this money, the Project Team plans to develop and expand the Buy-A-Sod initiative, which is the brain-child of Honorary Secretary, Declan Browne.

He said: "We'll have four levels at which people can contribute to the stadium project. We're not going to single out the corporate sector. We want to give everybody an opportunity to be part of it and more will be revealed in the coming weeks when the Team meets." The club has hired a professional agronomist (soil expert) and he's invited tenders for the seeding of the pitch. They have also agreed a contract for the perimeter fencing of the entire area and expect machinery to be on-site within two weeks to level the playing field.

"In one month the fencing will go up. This is after the site is levelled and trenches are dug for floodlights. After the fencing, the playing field is sewn and we've been assured it will take six to eight months to fully grow and mature. Then we'll deal with the stand, seating, hospitality areas, dressing rooms, and other ancillary facilities. It has to be ready for next season," said Mr. Burke.

Meanwhile, Mr. Browne says that sales are going "very well" in the Buy-A-Sod campaign. "It's only at its infancy stage so far but it will take off in the coming weeks and months. So far we are delighted with it and when it's pushed further it will take off," he said. Interestingly, at least fifty per cent of those who have purchased some part of the new ground are female, including former Minister Mary O'Rourke. Former Athlone Town and Sligo Rovers player, Dennis (Dinny) Kilfeather had a sod bought for him by his daughters, and family of the late John Galligan, who was deeply involved with the club for many years, also bought a sod in his memory. Mr. Browne said that the club have made about €5,000 from the initiative so far but expects this figure to boom once the Project Team kicks into action.