Dungannon Swifts aim to create 'flagship sports facility' with 3G pitch at Stangmore Park

At a recent meeting of the council’s development committee, members heard from Dungannon Swifts as to how the club plans to use the £50,000 funding it is to receive from council via the local authority’s capital discretionary grant.

They heard how the club wishes to construct a 3G pitch at its home – Stangmore Park – for both the benefit of the club and the wider community.

It was explained the club, founded in 1949, has developed as a leading football club within the Irish League but needs to continue to produce its own players to compete at this level.

While Stangmore Park is renowned as having an excellent grass pitch it is costly to maintain and can only be used for around four hours a week.

In contrast, a 3G pitch will allow the club to have 40 hours of use a week, not just for its own activities but to offer it to other sports clubs and casual user groups who want to get together and have a kickabout.

The project will cost £375,980 but the club has already secured £300,000 from FIFA’s funding relief plan and has raised £25,980 itself and is now asking council for £50,000 from its capital discretionary grant.

Swifts’ chairman Keith Boyd said it has the potential to become the “flagship facility for sports in the western region and beyond”.

“Dungannon Swifts is at the heart of the community and the club are committed to improving our home ground at Stangmore Park to include state-of-the-art training and match facilities that will not only benefit our club but the wider sporting community across the district.

“This will allow our club to further expand its activities, which, in turn, will allow for even more young people to participate in sport. The club and its facilities are vital to Dungannon, the wider district and its relationship with football and sport in general.”

Sinn Fein Councillor Dominic Molloy said it was great “to have a top team of local talent playing in the area” and wished the club all the best with the project.

“The Swifts have a broad spectrum of fans and players that is representative of the residents of the wider Dungannon area,” said Cllr Molloy.

“It is always good work within the Swifts and the work they do with the feeder club like Dungannon United Youth is top notch as well.”

SDLP group leader, Councillor Malachy Quinn also praised the Swifts’ work with youth teams and said the project would further enhance opportunities for the districts future stars to follow in the steps of the likes of Conor Bradley.

DUP Councillor Frances Burton, told the chamber she knew first hand how the Swifts worked with local schools to encourage young people to get active and said she was sure the local authority would do all it could to help the club achieve its goals.