Crusaders Plan New Stadium
CRUSADERS PLAN NEW STADIUM
Celtic Crusaders Rugby League Club has experienced a meteoric rise in the world of sport going from National League Two to Super League in the last three years. This remarkable progress is set to continue off the field with the development of a brand new state of the art stadium for which the planning application was lodged with Bridgend County Borough Council this Wednesday.
The Crusaders' 15,000 capacity stadium at Island Farm, Bridgend, will include bars, corporate hospitality and conference suites; educational, recreational and community facilities; media suites; offices; a large indoor training facility and extensive car parking.
Celtic Crusaders' chief executive David Thompson said: "The Crusaders are now playing at the elite level in the UK and we are committed to providing our fans with a new state-of-the-art stadium and facilities worthy of the borough, the club and Super League.
"Having won a Super League licence for three years, people may have expected the club to sit back, but we are continuously striving to push the club forward and looking to improve wherever we can as evidenced by this application."
The new stadium is at the heart of the proposed 40 million pound Island Farm Sporting Village being developed by HD Limited. The 130-acre Village will include a rugby union pitch for Bridgend Ravens, a football pitch for Bridgend Town, a world class indoor tennis centre, a boxing gym and several training and community pitches.
"To ensure that as a nation we continue to compete on the world stage, we need to provide our athletes with the best possible opportunities to succeed, and the development at Island Farm will be one such opportunity," Thompson adds.
"The world class facilities will benefit recreational, amateur, professional, and elite athletes alike, from within the borough and beyond. Island Farm is an exciting project that will bring people together through sporting, social, and recreational activities.
"We are delighted at the prospect of having our new Crusaders stadium as part of the development and helping deliver something truly special within Wales."
The developers are keen to promote the "green feel" of the Village which will include a 25 acre country park with woodland walks and cafes and picnic facilities. The plans also include a piazza for outdoor entertainment events and the whole area will be landscaped parkland.
HD Limited director Nicholas Hegarty said: "The aim of creating what is effectively a 'Sports Parkland' at Island Farm, is to provide Bridgend with an outstanding facility for watching or playing sports."
"A lot of hard work has to be put in before you can submit an initial planning application and we are grateful to Nicholas Hegarty and his team for everything that they have done to get to this stage," Thompson said.
"As we have seen elsewhere, the development of a new stadium can be difficult and at times drawn-out. However, we have now taken the first formal step and I am confident that HD Limited and its partners will be able to drive this project forward. It remains a very exciting time for the Crusaders and Bridgend."
Source: www.crusadersrfl.com
