The ambitious £45,000 project, which will include the construction of four fully-netted astroturf practice bays at the club’s home ground, the Cloughan in Ballyclare, will provide one of the best cricket coaching and practice facilities anywhere in Ireland.
As well as being used by the club’s senior sides and youth teams, the new practice area will also be made available to local schools and representative sides.
The club’s Cricket Development Officer, Andy McCrea is confident that the new training facilities will be ready for use ahead of the new season.
“We’ve secured the bulk of the funding we need from the Foundation for Sport and the Arts, Biffaward, the Lord’s Taverners and Newtownabbey Council, but we still need a final push to get the small remainder of the money in place before we start construction.
“Work will get under way in April. If we can get some decent weather we should have the new facilities up and running in May.
“This will undoubtedly be one of the best cricket training facilities anywhere in Ireland, and it will aid the improvement of our existing senior and youth players and maybe even help us attract some new players to the club,” he said.
Andy, who is one of nine qualified coaches at the club, continued “I have had the fortunate experience on four occasions of coaching at The European Centre of Cricket Excellence at La Manga in Spain, and having seen and used the excellent facilities there, I knew that it would be a great boost to Templepatrick Cricket Club if we could get the same facility, and in a several weeks time, this dream will have come true.”
With only £3,000 still required to ensure the project is completed on schedule, club officials are appealing to anyone interested in sponsoring the new facility to contact them.
Information about sponsorship opportunities is available by contacting Andy McCrea on 07811 737047 or andrew0@btinternet.com
