The club are celebrating a £100,000 grant awarded to help pay for a major upgrade of facilities.
The cash, from the Football Association, will enable the club to replace several dilapidated buildings at our Keighley Road home.
A new 100-seat stand, hospitality unit, ticket office and standing terracing form part of the scheme, which Club President Barry Thomas says will leave a legacy to Silsden “for generations to come”.
It is hoped – coronavirus permitting – that at least some of the new facilities could be built and ready for the start of next season.
Club President Barry Thomas, who co-ordinated the bid for funds, said the grant was “brilliant news”.
“It has been obvious for some years that several structures at the ground have been getting near to the end of their useful life – and they have further deteriorated significantly in recent months due to sustained inclement weather,” he said.
Among the buildings to be replaced is the John McNulty Stand, a wooden structure built in 1936 with old railway sleepers as a foundation. It is rotting and has woodworm.
The plan is to construct in its place a steel-fabricated stand, which would be built onsite.
An existing hospitality unit, housed in a dilapidated portable cabin, will also be replaced. The new purpose-built unit will be constructed in stone matching the clubhouse will include disabled facilities and will be utilised by Senior and Junior sections.
Stone will be used too to build the replacement ticket office, currently also an old portable cabin.
And a new, covered standing terrace – accommodating 50 spectators – will be provided between existing clubhouse porches.
Mr Thomas said all the construction, electrical and joinery work would be carried out by locally-based companies – Cobbydale Construction, Danny Clarke Building and Groundworks and Shane Parker Building Solutions.
The project will be managed by Andy Consoli, with Stephen Edwards of Cobbydale Construction, and accounts manager is Andrew Phillips.
“These are exciting times which continue the dreams and expectations of our club founder Dr John Purcell – who in 1904 envisaged health and outdoor activities every hour of the day for the people of Silsden,” added Mr Thomas.
First Team Manager Danny Forrest paid tribute to Barry and the rest of the committee:
“I’m so pleased for the likes of Barry who has worked so hard in securing the funding. Barry like many others has been involved with the club for many years and their dreams are turning in to a reality.
It just shows that we’re a forward thinking club, and the new facilities will raise the bar again and hopefully prove to be an attractive proposition for people.
We’re looking to build on what we have achieved on the pitch during the last few years and I’m delighted that’s matched by ambition off it.
These are exciting times for the club, preparations for next season continue to take place every day and we’re all looking forward to getting back to football as soon as we know it is safe to do so.”
