Wednesday, February 19, 2003

The Pitch

In the summer of 1997 after 49 years of club existence, Ferrybank AFC finally moved into our new ground at Abbeylands Ferrybank. We had waited years for a place of our own and finally we secured a lease for land off the Waterford Corporation and then the dream of having our own ground was fast becoming a reality. To celebrate the opening off the ground we decided to host a two-day event. A large marquee was erected on the all-weather surface to cater for music, drinks, food, and entertainment. A number of small marquees were also erected as dressing areas for teams partaking in the opening day. Public toilets had to be erected, licenses applied for and outside food caterers put in place.

The opening, which was held on the Saturday, saw the pitches blessed by Fr. Jim Crotty, Parish Priest. The sun, which was of Mediterranean proportions shone throughout the day.

Saturday was for the senior side of the club with exhibition games and tournaments throughout the day. A ballad band entertained the huge crowd from 2.00 till 6.00. The night was to see the biggest crowd ever in Ferrybank at an event with invited guests who had a part in the development of the site, parents of our players, supporters of the club and lotto draw, and the general public of Ferrybank were all in attendance to enjoy the music provided.

A special mention to Mr. Eamonn Mckenna, Waterford Hire Ltd, who was the major sponsor on the day and provided all the equipment required. Also to Walter Walsh who transferred his bar license for the weekend and constructed the bar himself.

The Sunday was to be the day for the schoolboys but unfortunately from about 4.00am a deluge of rain started and lasted throughout all Sunday. When arriving at 9.00am on the Sunday morning the rain had caused some of the marquee to collapse and the event had to be cancelled. The schoolboys did get their day some weeks later and again another great occasion was had.

On the 9th May 1998 at Jury’s Hotel Ferrybank our club held the 50th anniversary ball of the foundation of the club. This was another great night in the clubs history and was made more special on the night by the appearance of John O’Shea who on that day arrived back in Ferrybank with his winner’s medal which he won at the European Under 16 Championships in Scotland.

Fastforward to the year 2003 and our ground is forever changing and improving for the better. This year we finally opened our new clubhouse. The clubhouse is a huge assist to our club. Downstairs you will find a fully stocked first aid room, two large dressing rooms, and three separate toilet cubicles. Upstairs you will find a committee room and a large general purpose room plus a balcony, which oversees the two pitches. At the side of the building is a nicely sized referees room plus an equipment room. The building is one of the finest in its kind in the country and it will serve us well in the future.

At Ferrybank AFC we are all about progression and our next target is the refurbishment of the all-weather pitch into a synthetic grass surface. This is our next target and hopefully with a lot of work and effort we will be able to complete it.

© Sarpedon Technologies 2002