Late sports village has dates proposed

Scarborough Athletic fans will be delighted with the news that the construction of the Weaponess Sports Village is proposed to start at the end of next year.

The Sports Village will consist of a stadium for Scarborough Athletic as well as a national standard swimming pool.

Following the liquidation of Scarborough FC in 2007 and demolition of the old stadium, McCains Stadium, the town’s football fans have missed out on having a home team play in the seaside town.

The Shed, also known as The Cow Shed

Since Scarborough Athletic formed in in the same year, they’ve had to stadium share with Bridlington Town, leaving Boro fans no option but to travel to watch their team play.

The scheduled starting date of the sports village was August 2012, but due to money issues the construction was pushed back.

But following the final dialogue meeting with all the bidders for the sports village back on February 25, plans have been laid for the football stadium to be completed by the end of 2014.

Councillor Thomas Fox of the Scarborough Borough Council is anticipating “construction of the Leisure Village in early 2014 with completion of the football ground during Quarter 4 2014.

“We are excited to the prospect of not only senior football returning to Scarborough with the prospect that the facilities will help realise the realistic ambitions of a well-run team.”

For some Scarborough fans it’s all too little too late. Matthew Holloway, a fitness instructor and lifelong Scarborough FC fan said: “It just won’t happen, Scarborough football is dead and council won’t lift a finger to help.

“Building was scheduled to start in 2012, I believe it’s now 2013 and still nothing”

Other Scarborough fans still believe that the football team will return to the town very soon and “will be celebrating the day the first game Scarborough play there.”

Jack Fewster, a fellow Scarborough FC fan who is studying Sports Business Management at Sheffield Hallam, said: “The town needs a football team and Scarborough Athletic is the most senior team.”

Mr Fewster, 19, accepts that construction is currently behind schedule but believes “the day Scarborough Athletic get back, the club can finally prosper and regain its objective of being a community club.”

The Scarborough Athletic board are fully behind the project and have been quoted saying that they will “ensure that Scarborough Athletic Football Club returns to the Borough of Scarborough in facilities that benefit the wider sporting community.”

Questions over the Weaponess Sports Village

The sporting community of Scarborough have started to question the council about information of the Weaponess Sports Village.

The main stand at the old McCains Stadium.

Construction was meant to start in August 2012 but due to money problems nothing has been started, causing people to demand answers about the proposed community stadium and leisure facilities.

Scarborough has been without a football stadium since McCains Stadium was demolished back in 2011 after Scarborough FC went into liquidation with debts of £2.5million in 2007, ending the clubs 128-year-old history.

Newly formed Scarborough Athletic have been playing their football at Bridlington Stadium and fans are desperate to bring their team back to Scarborough.