Tuesday 14 September 2010

Hallam FM Website Story

This is a piece I had published on the Hallam FM web pages while I was completing work experience there. Sorry their are no pictures to go with my story.

"Chesterfield FC’s £13 million stadium was unveiled this week ready for their first home friendly against Derby.

The B2net stadium has taken nearly a year to build and with only the finishing touches to add it will be ready well before the start of their season.

The seven thousand fans, who have bought tickets already, will enjoy the game with unrestricted views and an extra six inches of leg room.

“It’s something we’ve been trying to build for many many years,” Barrie Hubbard, Chairman of Chesterfield FC said.

“Everyone I’ve seen and spoken to think it’s fantastic and if we get people in then perhaps it is one of the major achievements ever happened in Chesterfield for many years.”

There is also a full size pitch with the option to go international if England host the World Cup in 2018. With Sheffield Wednesday being a match ground, Chesterfield’s new stadium would be used as a training camp for some of the biggest names in football.

“It’ll be a better place to come and play football,” Ian Breckin, Chesterfield’s Captain, said.

“We’ve got to make sure that we start the season well. It’s a fantastic ground and everyone is looking forward to getting the season up and running.”

The project was funded through friends and the major share holder Dave Allen, who now owns 80% of the shares. With banquet and conference facilities the club are hoping that it will all help fund the project.

“Football play 22 or 23 days a year where as the banqueting facilities they have on the first floor can be used 365 days, all year round,” John Curry, Project manager for GB building solutions, said.

As well as the football, behind the Midland’s Co-Operative Community Stand there will be a collection of facilities including one of only a few stadiums to have a permanent police office.

“Local authorities are getting involved with us,” John Croot, Community Director of Chesterfield FC said.

“We’ve got classrooms going in and a gymnasium area. We’ve got a range of partners including local PCTs where we work on healthy living initiatives. To some it up in a sentence, it’s using football as a vehicle to engage.”

The new stadium has been designed to accommodate everyone and anyone with a collection of new disabled seating both in the stand and pitch side. Four out the five lifts are also accessible by disabled people.

The changes mean that everyone will pay the same price for tickets, compared to Saltergate where the disabled were given a discount. But the club are saying that ticket prices will remain as they were last year for now.

Chesterfield also unveiled their new kit, keeping with the same sponsor Vodka Kick and the energy drink KICK."

No comments:

Post a Comment