Dear Kilkenny Local Authority
Carlow Kilkenny FC was an Initiative between the Kilkenny District League and the Carlow & District Juveniles League in 2017. It was agreed that a Club Independent of both Leagues would be formed to provide a pathway to National League Football for all our young players and allow them to stay in their local areas to do so. We affliated an Under 15 side to compete in the National League in 2018 and since then we have grown incrementally to include underage girls teams. In the 2021 we will have 5 teams competing across Under 14, Under 15, and Under 17 Boys and Under 17 and Under 19 Girls. We also have plans in place for 2022 for an Under 19 Boys team to complete our Underage squads.
Our ultimate goal is to have a Senior Men’s and Ladies Team playing in the League of Ireland and in order to do that we would require a UEFA Standard Stadium. Currently there is a Stadium which has the basic infrastructure, Buckley Park, which is in Private Ownership. Buckley Park is currently zoned for Sporting/Community usage it is imperative that this remains the same. It must also be noted that Public funding through Sporting Grants went into the Football Ground through the years which was the home of EMFA/Kilkenny City FC who playing in the League of Ireland from 1985-2007. Grant aid would have been based on the fact there was a sporting and community need then now and into the future.
In order to ensure that Kilkenny can have a quality football/soccer facility for players of all abilities including elite players, it would be good if all the stakeholders, Carlow Kilkenny FC, Buckley Park site owners, FAI, Kilkenny and District League, Sport Ireland and Kilkenny County Council could come together to secure a long term future for Buckley Park. Carlow Kilkenny FC would welcome this development as we could provide the most important key ingredient an Anchor Tenant. As the site is near the Western Environs project there is capacity to grown a League of Ireland Club as with the building of new Schools and Homes that would be a potential supporter base that could be developed over the coming years.
In order for any of this to happen Buckley Park, Tennypark, Derdimus, Callan Road County Kilkenny needs to remain zoned for sporting use.
Regards
Paul Brophy
PRO Carlow Kilkenny
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Paul Brophy