BRIDGWATER Town Football Club has taken the next step towards becoming a "landmark destination" for football and the wider community.
The club has now unveiled its initial plans to redevelop Fairfax Park, starting with the north side of the ground.
New chief executive Adam Murry and chairman Bob Buckingham have previously stated their ambitions for the club to progress on and off the pitch, while keeping the Bridgwater community at its heart.
With that in mind, the proposed redevelopment comes with the intention of making the stadium a seven-day venue for the town, while also bringing Fairfax Park up to the level required to host elite men’s and women’s football in Bridgwater.
A two-storey development is set to incorporate a café/bar/restaurant area, state-of-the-art sports technology centre and executive boxes, enabling community groups to make use of classroom and conferencing facilities all week.
The sports technology centre is to provide an innovative range of training arenas to improve sports performance, with players able to get more touches of the ball in less time and accelerating their development in core attributes.
This technology is currently used by prestigious clubs in the Premier League and top European leagues.
Although the main focus is football, there is also room for community engagement and education support, including for those with special educational needs and disabilities.
The sports technology centre will include a mini indoor 3G field with interactive technology, and would be available for use seven days a week - for Bridgwater Town and Yeovil United players, and to other organisations as well.
In addition to the sports technology centre, the new facility is to include:
- Player and match official changing rooms
- Medical and physio rooms
- Gymnasium
- Spectator seating
- Club offices
- Kitchens
- Matchday and corporate hospitality
- Executive boxes
- Café/bar/restaurant
- Club superstore
- Community hosting spaces, with versatile classrooms/conference/meeting space and a clubhouse
OPPORTUNITIES: The ground floor plans for the new facility planned for Fairfax Park
The complex will also house the headquarters of the Bridgwater Community Sports Trust, bringing football, hospitality, community and tourism together under one roof.
Alongside the development of the north stand, the club also plans to transform the entrance to the stadium with new signage, installing a tree-lined boulevard, in addition to resurfacing the car park.
The club believes that this development will vastly improve the matchday experience for new, existing and visiting fans, with families and young people placed at the heart of all activities within Fairfax Park.
A kids fanzone club and entertainment is to be provided at every home fixture.
PLANS: A 3D view of the Fairfax Park facility
Club CEO Murry commented: “This development is complementary to, and the vital first step towards, the proposed future longer-term development of the entire Fairfax Park facility.
"In line with the club’s ambitions to proceed through the Non-League pyramid, these plans will ensure our facilities exceed the Ground Grading requirements that will need to be achieved, and ensure the stadium is a landmark destination within the South West region.
"The club is facilitating the feasibility and planning required to progress with a long-term vision for football and community facilities in Bridgwater itself, and expect exciting developments coming up in relation to our commitments as a football club within the town."
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