 Bring
Ards FC Home Campaign
Last
updated: 17th December 2009
»
Ards
Borough Council have lodged a planning application for
their proposed redevelopment of Londonderry Park,
incorporating an arena facility that could be utilised
by Ards FC...
[read
more]
»
Supporters
representing the Bring Ards FC Home campaign have held
a short meeting with Council officials to hear the
latest progress on the Londonderry Park upgrade... [read
more]
»
The
Bring Ards FC Home campaign has congratulated Councillors for
backing the construction of a new football arena. In a public
statement, Council members were told that Ards supporters warmly
welcomed the agreement to vote through the latest stage of the
process... [read
more]
»
The
Council has agreed a £3.6 Million plan to create state of the
art sporting facilities at Londonderry Park in Newtownards,
including a partly covered arena suitable for intermediate
football... [read
more]
»
At
its meeting on Wednesday night, Ards Council voted to accept
the recommendation that Londonderry Park be upgraded to
provide a community stadium for the town... [read
more]
»
The Bring
Ards FC Home campaign have renewed hope that their team may be
close to returning home again, after holding a very positive
meeting with Council officials this week... [read
more]
»
Former
Ards striker Stephen Baxter expressed his support for the
Bring Ards Home campaign in the local press this week... [read
more]
»
Ards
Borough Council has spoken out publicly for the first time on
their proposals to re-develop Londonderry Park. In an open
letter to last Thursday's edition of The Chronicle, the
council's head of Leisure Services explained that Ards Council
are close to submitting a bid for funding to upgrade the
Portaferry Road facility... [read
more]
»
A visit
from local MLA Jim Shannon to a recent campaign meeting did much
to encourage supporters. At the meeting, Shannon praised the
actions of those involved in the Bring Ards FC Home idea and
said that it had done much to put the issue of a community
stadium front and centre... [read
more]
»
Local councillor and Alliance member of the Assembly Kieran
McCarthy expressed his support for the community stadium with
this release
on his website. Kieran also met with some Ards supporters,
appearing with them in the 12th
February
edition of the Chronicle.
»
The
Bring Ards FC Home message reached into Europe this week, with
our campaign banner on show during Northern Ireland's World Cup
qualifier in San Marino... [read
more]
-
THE BEGINNING
In
late January, a number of Ards supporters met to discuss
ways in which Ards FC's desire to return home and play in a new
council-owned community stadium could be achieved.
With
an encouraging number of supporters in attendance, it was agreed to
mount a campaign to put the issue back into the spotlight at a
time when Ards Borough Council might be close to making a
decision.
A
number of ideas were put forward during this meeting and the
group agreed to put some of these into practice over the next
few weeks.
Our
aim to put the need for a community stadium in Newtownards in
the spotlight will be pursued through:
-
requesting
meetings with local representatives
-
asking
local businesses to show their support by placing a notice
in their shop front
-
encouraging
as many supporters as possible to write to the local press
in support of a stadium
-
encouraging
supporters to write to their elected Councillors
-
gathering
the support of the wider public by circulating a petition
We
have engaged a number of supporters to actively pursue many of these issues
and we are seeking the involvement of the broadest range of the
Ards support in keeping the stadium matter to the fore. Over the
first few weeks of the campaign, we have had a tremendous response
to the poster placement and have also received ongoing media
attention, notably from the Newtownards Chronicle.
-
INFORMATION
For all press
enquires, please contact Keith Bailie on 07921 126 417
To
help with the poster campaign, please contact Sarah Atcheson on
07730 009076
To
receive information on writing to the local press, please
contact Adrian Monaghan
For
any other information, or to offer your help and ideas, contact Andrew
McCullough on 07752 38 74 38
-
REFERENCES
Press
Coverage
The Bring Ards FC Home Campaign
has been featured continually in the Newtownards
Chronicle as well in other newspapers ... [read
more]
Campaign
Support
Since 23rd
January, supporters have canvassed Newtownards traders, asking
them to show their support for a new community stadium by
displaying the Bring Ards FC Home poster... [read
more]
Further letters
written by Ards supporters appeared in the local press this
week, all urging Councillors to do what they can to 'Bring Ards
Home'... [read
more]
Ards
Borough Council
A
meeting of the full Council on 29th April 2009 voted unanimously
to accept the committee recommendation that Londonderry Park be
upgraded and that the Council initiates a meeting with relevant
stakeholders.... [read
more]
-
MATERIALS
Campaign
Poster
A
copy of the Bring Ards FC Home campaign poster is available to
download here.
We encourage all our supporters to display this poster where
they can.
Sample
Letter
We
encourage all of our supporters to print off a copy of this
letter for mailing to your local councillor. There are six
copies of the letter contained in this file, each individually
addressed to a specific councillor. The letter is
available to download here
Petition
A blank copy of
the Bring Ards FC Home petition is available to print off here.
Once your sheet has been filled, please return it to Ards FC.
Press
releases
Release
1
Release
2
Release
3
Release
4
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