PATCHWAY have a special reason for looking ahead to the start of the season following the completion of a major overhaul of their facilities at Scott Park.
Members of the Bristol & District League club are already making the most of their new nets – a double-lane cage set-up complete with key-pad entry – while sight screens and wicket covers will shortly be delivered to Coniston Road where a secure storage area will also be built.
And later in the month, four new state-of-the-art changing rooms – including two specially designed for women and girls players that feature cubicle showering – will be used for the first time.
Patchway’s old pavilion
The changing rooms are a major component of a new pavilion which features a community cafe while an electronic scoreboard has been built into the front of the new building which is a major improvement on the previous run-down facility. The project also features an all-weather training pitch.
Patchway chairman Paul Thompson with the club’s new nets in the background
It’s all been made possible by more than £750,000 Section 106 funding along with contributions of £800,000 from Patchway Town Council and £50,000 from Sport England along with support from Patchway Community Sports Association.
Patchway chairman Paul Thompson said: “The first discussions about improving facilities here began more than 10 years ago so to see things completed is tremendous.
“ It’s been well worth all the effort and we’re very thankful, particularly to the Town Council and the Sports Association for all their help.
“We hope the fact that we now have a brand-new pavilion, fantastic changing rooms and new nets will help the club kick on and progress.
“We’re very focused on our junior set-up … this year we will be running under-9s, two under-11 sides and an under-13s, along with the hope of having girls-only Dynamos for the first time.
“The hope is that these juniors – boys and girls – will progress to under-15s and under-17s and then the senior section of the club.
“I was a part of a junior side some 40-odd years ago that went on to produce five or six lads who went on to play for the first team, and we’re very keen for that to happen again.”