Work in now underway on football pitches at a new site that amateur club officials say will be “the best for miles around". Wyresdale AFC, which traces its history back over 100 years, had left its old ground off Inverbeg Drive, Breightmet, after the land was sold for housing. Now, work has begun on a 15-acre site west of Radcliffe Moor Road in Radcliffe which will include two adult and two junior grass pitches, which officials hope will be ready by August next year.
Club chairman Stan Crawford said: “These will be the best amateur pitches for miles around.” He added: “The new facility will be bigger and better than before and the club which is now also a registered charity intends to significantly increase participation particularly for junior football and also for women and girls.” Work is now underway (Image: Wyresdale AFC) The club’s own ground was sold to Westchurch Homes, which now plans to build 94 new homes on the Breightmet site.
The UK Planning Inspectorate decided to approve the plan for the new homes in July last year, overruling Bolton Council’s decision to reject the bid the year before. Club officials say that the new ground is less than a mile away from Inverbeg Drive, but the old site had suffered from poor drainage, with no possibility of improvement. They had also been unable to use the pitches for long periods during the winter.
The old site of Inverbeg Drive (Image: Newsquest) But as well as the pitches, set in line with Sport England guidel.