Bellshill Athletic receive replacement bar, board room, laundry and stock rooms from Bridlington Town
The arrival came around seven weeks after large swathes of the Rockburn Park premises were wiped out in a fire, read about online by Bridlington manager Brett Agnew – originally from Holytown – who wanted to help by donating his club’s facilities which are being replaced anyway as their Queensgate ground in Yorkshire is being upgraded.
“This is an absolutely fantastic gesture by Bridlington,” Bellshill Athletic secretary Brian Closs told the Times and Speaker.
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Hide Ad“Seeing all the stuff arrive on Thursday recharged the batteries again as I’d been up since 3am. It’s now stored at the park.
“Peter Smurthwaite (Bridlington chairman) has been brilliant throughout.
“We’ll maybe try and organise a Clubhouse Cup friendly against Bridlington next year, either down there or up here.”
No work on setting up the new facilities can start until Bellshill get planning permission for the building warrant.
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Hide AdBrian estimates that the stadium development could be given the go ahead by late July, with the foundations put down thereafter before the structures can be assembled “as quickly as possible”.
He added: “Personally, I don’t see us starting back small group training until maybe late July.
“I would certainly imagine we’ll be into late August before we can get it set up.
“It might not be until the end of August, maybe even the end of September, before we kick a ball.
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Hide Ad“But from the point of view of getting the building ready that would be perfect.”
The only bits of equipment which didn’t make the trip from Bridlington as originally planned were the cellar and toilet block, as they weren’t in good enough condition.
However, Bellshill’s existing portacabin and male and female toilets can be used after alterations.
Bellshill will play in the new West of Scotland Football League Conference A next season.