SILSDEN AFC“The Cobbydalers”

est 1904

GROUNDS AND PITCHOur facility has four full-sized pitches; the main senior pitch being enclosed and five junior pitches from mini to almost full size. All the pitches at Silsden AFC are maintained by one of Bradford council`s top grounds men, our club Chairman, Sean McNulty.

Sean oversees everything from reseeding and earth quaking, to line marking and corner flag placement, so he really is a hands on Chairman in every sense of the word.

Over the past five seasons, we have invested thousands of pounds to ensure we offer the best playing surface in the area. It is capable of having 3 or 4 senior games played on it every week.

The pitch is heavy rolled on a regular basis and a programme of verti draining, and now earth quaking is scheduled when required. At the end of each season, we check on the levelling, as like all grounds we get a small amount of sinking.

The first week in May sees a complete upgrade including verti draining, reseeding and fertilizing as required to maintain the pitch quality. To maintain our “Green” credentials and to save money, we use an underground stream for the for spraying. To help the new seed germinate and for two months Sean nurtures it to its showcase quality.Overlooking the pitch is a covered seated wooden stand; circa 1936, which we lovingly restored during the renovation of the ground. It seats 100, with areas set aside for home and away visitors and guests.

Next to this is a 50 people covered standing stand and we have just had work completed to provide 50 square meters of extra standing area.

We have the pleasure of hosting every local league cup final at the end of the season and during the close season allow many charities use our facilities for their fund raising.

SIlSDeN AFCIn 1904, Silsden AFC was jointly formed by Dr John Purcell, a local doctor and surgeon, who had previously started a handball, then a rugby club in 1890s. He along with others formed the club to play in the local league and arranged a 21 year lease agreement with the landlords, “The Skipton Castle Estate.”

Dr Purcell sought to encourage the community to improve their health by being actively involved in sports and demonstrated this by applying to the landlords in 1921 to purchase the area as a sporting and recreation facility for the people of Silsden and the surrounding area. His wish was granted, and the club worked tirelessly to raise the £500 needed by the end of the current lease. The Silsden Playing Fields were born.. In those early days, the ground was used for football, cricket, bowls and tennis. Over the years, the tennis club moved away and eventually folded. However the other 3 set up clubs under their identity and each club runs as its separate entity although a board of trustees oversee’s the whole sporting area and held in trust for the community of Silsden. In September 2009 the Sports Minister and Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe officially opened our new sports club. The old brick building and aged wooden change rooms were replaced with £1.1 million new sports club. Truly Dr Purcell would be extremely proud of his community if he could see the fruits of his time invested today.

CHANGING ROOMS

Our facility has six changing rooms split into two areas. Four of the rooms including our home room overlooks the main pitch and are connected by a corridor leading from the function room.

These rooms are used by our three senior sides and can only access them through code locked doors. The other two are on the entry to the facility from the car park and are used by our ladies and girls teams in the football season and the cricket club who we share our facility with, in the summer.

Each changing room is to Conference North standard and has a 20 square metre shower block, physio table and adjoining toilet and wash basin facilities. We even include a brush and shovel should the users have the urge to sweep up!

Each of the four corridor changing rooms are supported by two code locks and individual door locks as well as a security marshal in hi-vis jacket.

Just off the corridor are the officials’ changing rooms, two rooms because we sometimes have a lady official. Also our general office and first aid and physio room are located here as well.

FUNCTION ROOM

Our 120 seated, 180 standing, function room is maintained by the Sports Club committee on a daily/weekly basis to keep it in great condition for all receptions and functions we hold.

We have a fully equipped kitchen capable of providing hot meals at various wedding or presentations with an outlet directly into the function room.

A well-stocked bar and cellar provide everything from a soft drink to a Sambuca and the most popular ales, ciders, lager, wines and spirits to suit every taste. Add to this our two large TV screens and wall projector we make viewing accessible from every part of the room, invaluable on match days to watch the pro results.

Our facility is available 52 weeks of the year for private parties, wedding receptions, christenings or charity events, and we are often complimented for our outstanding position and view of the Aire Valley.

We are completely wheelchair friendly for both the room and toilet facilities and can even provide a wheelchair for anyone who finds it difficult to walk.

Background roof hi-fi speakers and free no password Wi-Fi gives us all we need, and more besides to offer and achieve complete a hospitality package to all our guests and visitors.

eveNTS We are a Charter Standard Community Standard club who take out achieved title very carefully.

Our 250+ Junior children play in 20 teams in various local leagues

Every year we hold a ‘Six a Side’ weekend with over 100 teams taking part from all over the north of England and attract over 2,000 visitors along with pro scouts from most Premier and Championship northern teams.

We entered the local gala and proudly paraded at the cenotaph on Poppy Day and placed a wreath on the Cenotaph.

Last year we celebrated the lives of all the local sportsmen and women who fought in the Great War and produced our “own’ newspaper that we sold on behalf of our local British Legion.

Our function room was full with the Silsden Brass Band, a local Rock Up and Sing choir, clergy, club and league officials, dignitaries and local people.

It was a huge success and when the Sports Minister, Helen Grant, recently visited us she mentioned the fact our local MP had told her what an exciting, vibrant go ahead club we were with enough dignity to remember the fallen of the Great War.

SIlSDeN jUNIORS Silsden AFC is a “Grass Roots” Charter Standard Community Football Club serving the local and surrounding district, providing football & training to over 250 juniors aged from under six to under 19, 3 girls teams, a ladies team and 3 open age senior teams.

We also allow our facility at Keighley Road to be used by 4 Bradford Schools Football Association clubs with teams from all over Yorkshire coming to play.We are also the home ground for two other local amateur teams, Silsden Whitestar FC.

Two years ago we took on board the Football Associations directive of keeping young people out of trouble and off the streets by playing sport and started an under 18 team. Our playing fields are open to everyone every day of the year and to keep this directive flowing, we are desperate to create better facilities.

With this in mind, we formed an under 19 side to complement the reserves and first team. Most of the boys have come up through our junior ranks and currently sit unbeaten on top of their league, as well as being unbeaten in all cup competitions.

We can truly say: Our Club’s future for the next decade is looking good.

CAR PARK

Our ground at Silsden AFC is situated just off the A629, Keighley – Skipton bypass and only 500m from the railway station which has regular train links to and from Leeds and Bradford, ideal for our supporters who prefer the ease and relaxation of the train.

We have a 44 space car park adjoining the Sports club with a gated barrier for security, and big match days we have traffic control/car park marshals to control the parking. Teams arriving by coach can be facilitated within the car park if requested.

This car park is reserved for officials and guests of both the home and away team and has direct access to the Sports Club and changing rooms.

Both home and away supporters are encouraged to go just past the ground into a free 400 + space parking area which is less than 100 metres from the ground but on the opposite side from the main car park for security.

The whole facility is wheelchair friendly from the parking area to pitch side.

COMMITTee MeMBeRS 2015

Sean McNulty Chairman

Barry Thomas Commercial Director

John LohanVice Chairman

Richard Feather Ground Security

Peter HansonClub Secretary

Eddie Sessford Facilities Manager

Angela Simpson Club Treasurer

John BarclayTeam Secretary

Kinsley RansomIT & Computer

Darren BinnsEntertainment Officer

James FergusonCorporate Affairs Director

Stephen Narey Academy Manager

ADDrESS

SIlSDeN AFC

THe ANGel TeleCOM STADIUMKeIGHleY ROAD

SIlSDeNWeST YORKSHIRe

BD20 0eH

www.silsdenafc.co.uk

Published by GeorgiMedia