PHOTOS:
Clarbeston Road officials, supporters and junior players





West Wales Football Association Chairman Roger Wood cuts the ribbon

Following a programme of work carried out over the summer months, Clarbeston Road AFC will today unveil a package of improvements to their facilities at Knock Field, Clarbeston Road.
 
The work has been delivered as the first stage of a long-term development plan for the site and follows a feasibility study commissioned from W A Spees Architects in 2015 with funding from the Solafields Community Fund.
 
“Back in 2015, we realised that we needed to do something to cope with the growing membership of our club and the increased demand on our facilities” said Clarbeston Road AFC Chairman, Steve Brown. “We have grown year on year as a club and for the current season we are fielding 15 teams, as well as supporting the Cleddau Warriors Disability Football club. We needed to take action to provide suitable facilities to cater for this growing demand and today marks the completion of the first stage.”
 
Funding for our current project has been provided by the Welsh Rural Communities - Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government. Contributory match funding has been provided through the Landfill Community Fund, with the support of local landfill operator, Potters Waste Management.
 
Both pitches at the site have been improved. The first choice senior pitch has been extended and a new ball stop net system has been installed at each end. This pitch now has purpose built coach shelters and pitch-side bench seating for around 120 spectators. The mini/junior pitch has been extended to provide the footprint for a future floodlit artificial surface for mini and junior football and training. It is also now large enough to be divided into 2 separate mini pitches.
 
The work has been designed to provide essential services, such as 3 phase power and sewage treatment, and to create the footprint for the next development stage. This has involved considerable excavation work at the site and has included improvement to the access to the site from the highway, improved site drainage and reconfiguration of car parking.
 
“We believe users of the site will notice a big difference and the experience for both players and supporters should be much improved. Our focus will now turn to planning and fundraising for a new building to be constructed on the site to house changing rooms and a clubroom. Our club is already an important part of the local rural community and once the proposed building is complete we plan to make it available for wider community uses, as identified in our community consultation.”
 
Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, said:
 
“Our Rural Development Programme is designed to boost rural communities and this project achieves these aims by tackling poverty and supporting economic priorities, whilst helping the community to thrive.
 
“I am pleased we have been able to assist in improving Clarbeston Road AFC. The work carried out to improve the pitches will support football in the community, promoting social inclusion, poverty reduction and economic development in rural areas.”


PHOTO:
Clarbeston Road AFC Trustees

PHOTO:
Mark and Shan Hunter of Totally Welsh  have kindly sponsored four sets of kit for this season, for Clarbeston Road Under 10s, 11s, 12s and 13s.