AFTER many years of putting up with inadequate facilities, Holsworthy Cricket Club and Holsworthy Youth Football Club are desperate for the new sports pavilion in Stanhope Park to be completed.

Over time, both clubs have had to put up with opposition players, management and supporters bemoaning the lack of facilities and picking fun at their tiny changing rooms and sink.

But in less than a year they will no longer have to put up with those jibes.

Both teams will have access to brand new changing rooms, a catering area, a bar and a main hall, while the cricket club will, for the first time, have their own state of the art scorebox — a far cry from their clapped out scoreboard.

In a bid to state their thanks to all the funders, backers, town council and those who made their dreams possible, the newly formed Holsworthy Sports Pavilion Committee, comprising members from each club, issued a statement.

They said: “Holsworthy Sports Pavilion Committee (HSPC), recently set up to run the pavilion upon completion, are very proud to play a key role in the regeneration of the pavilion in Stanhope Park.

“The founding clubs, Holsworthy Youth Football Club and Holsworthy Cricket Club have worked alongside Holsworthy Town Council to obtain the funding required to create a facility which will provide a catalyst to increase sport, recreation, health and wellbeing opportunties to all the in the town and the wider area.

“HSPC are indebted to the work of the clubs, the people and the businesses of Holsworthy who have given so generously; Holsworthy Town Council who have led the project so well and all the funders who have backed the vision we share for the facility.

“The committee are in discussions with a number of new and emerging groups in the town and are confident and excited about achieving the sport and leisure opportunities stated in applications to various funders.

“We would like to take this opportunity to put a call out to any exisiting or potential sport and leisure groups who would like to use this facility and get involved in maximising the potential of this opportunity for the town.

“The committee are keen to stress their intention to open up the facility for use by all. The facility will be run on a purely voluntary basis by the people of Holsworthy for the people of Holsworthy in a transparent way with a strong emphasis on making it as open and cost effective as possible.

“We are also therefore putting out a call for volunteers to join our existing team to help, in anyway run what will be a beautiful setting within our wonderful park surrounded by sport, health and wellbeing.

“We would like to once again thank everyone involved in regenerating this long neglected town asset — well done Holsworthy, and here’s to a very exciting and healthy future!”

But how will the pavilion shape the future of the cricket and youth football clubs?

At the cricket club, the impact will be felt both during and after the build.

Their LWC Cornwall Cricket League campaign kicks off on Saturday, April 22, with a home game against Grampound Road thirds and there is a lot to be done between now and then before the first ball of the season is bowled.

As is cricketing tradition, home teams have to provide a cricket tea as well as changing room facilities and so on, but with the pavilion out of use at present, the club are glad that Holsworthy Football Club’s Upcott Field home is just a three or four minute walk away.

The cricket club’s chairman, Dave Gerry, has held talks with his football club counterpart Steve Lee about the feasibility of using their facilities during the summer, and although nothing has been agreed in writing, hopes are high that the clubs can come to an agreement.

Holsworthy Town Council’s groundskeeper and handyman, George Orr-Wilcox, who is also a player and coach, foresees no problems, but knows that if no agreement is reached they will have to make other plans to host their guests throughout 2017.

Mr Orr-Wilcox said: “Dave has spoken to Steve Lee and we’re hopeful that we can use their kitchen and changing facilities throughout the season. The football club is only a three or four minute walk from the old pavilion and from early discussions it doesn’t seem like there should be any fixture clashes where both teams are at home. We know it’s not ideal, but it’s only for one season so hopefully it’ll work.

“If that can’t happen then we’re going to have to look at bringing in a container, porta cabin or a caravan for teams to change in and that will cost the club time and money.”

Looking further ahead, Holsworthy Cricket Club are hoping to broaden their horizons once the pavilion is complete.

2017 will be the fourth year that they have had a youth section and this season will enter an under 10s team into the North Devon Youth Cricket League for the first time.

Both Mr Orr-Wilcox and fellow level two coach Dan Marks, hope the club can continue to push on.

They said: “At the moment the main focus for us as a club is to continue to grow and expand. We want to have a thriving youth section. This year, for the first time, we’re getting involved with the All Stars Cricket scheme for five to eight-year-olds and we’re also going into local primary schools for the Chance to Shine Scheme.

“The town is continuing to grow all the time and with the new pavilion coming in we’re hoping that parents and young players will see that Holsworthy Cricket Club is a great place for them to learn the game and improve instead of maybe going to other clubs like they might have before.

“We also want to see more community involvement. The new pavilion is going to be a great thing for the town and we hope that people will come and get involved with the club now that they know there is going to be a bar and a nice place to sit down and relax and watch some sport.

“We would like to thank Matt Cooke and Matt Theedom from the Devon Cricket Board for all their help in securing us the grant from the English Cricket Board. They have bent over backwards to attend meetings with us and do whatever they can to help us and for that we are extremely grateful.

“If anyone would like to get involved in any capacity, please contact us.”

For further information, contact George Orr-Wilcox on 07717 613801.

Holsworthy Youth Football Club are a much busier club. At present they have seven teams, ranging from under 8s right up to under 16s, but in recent times have had trouble keeping some of their players happy due to their lack of facilities.

A couple of years ago, one team and their manager uprooted their team to Bradworthy Football Club, leaving the football club in a state of shock.

But while those days were much more turbulent, club chairman Adam Chidley believes that happier times are ahead.

Mr Chidley said: “Having the new pavilion will be the best thing that can happen to the town and our club.

“I’m expecting it to help us aid our player retention and help us grow as at the minute we play in the park without adequate facilities and it can be tough to attract players.

“Once the pavilion is done we will be able to host teams properly and give them a proper experience, such as being able to give them refreshments and shower facilities and somewhere nice to get changed before the games.

“Also it’ll be miles better for the parents. At the moment they turn up, can have to stand in the pouring rain and cold for 90 minutes and then have nowhere nice to go after. Now everyone can go inside, warm up, have a drink and socialise.

“If we can get both the cricket club and football clubs working together, which we are now doing, it’d be brilliant if we can have the same children playing football in the winter and cricket in the summer here at Stanhope Park.”

Another area Mr Childey wants to see improved is the number of ladies playing football in the town.

Mr Chidley added: “As well as that we want to improve the women’s side of the club. At the moment we only have about five females within the 100 plus members we have, so hopefully we can work on that and in a couple of years’ time start up a ladies’ team and try to have a team for all age groups.

We want to use the park to its maximum potential and make Holsworthy Youth Football Club the best it can possibly be.

“I’d like to thank Chris French from the Devon County FA for all of his help. He has helped us from start to finish by making sure we have done everything right so that we received the £99,000 from the Football Foundation.”

One man who’s certainly excited to have the pavilion up and running is Holsworthy town mayor, Jon Hutchings.

Cllr Hutchings sponsors the local cricket club and says that ‘the pavilion should ensure sport stays at the forefront of the town for years to come’.

Cllr Hutchings added: “Having this new sports pavilion will hopefully ensure the future of sport, and in particular youth sport in Holsworthy.

“Over the last few years the project has been pushed from pillar to post but now it’s underway, both the cricket club and youth football club have something to look forward too and can hopefully push on.

“Eventually I’d like to see a big youth involvement in the town, with a good interaction between the youth and senior clubs, in particular the youth football and the seniors so that there is a pathway from junior to adult football.

“A lot of people didn’t want to be associated with the current state of the pavilion, but the new facility should ensure that everyone, from youths to adults, get a chance to enjoy sport in a nice environment.

“Hopefully this can open new avenues to other sports to be played in the park so that Stanhope Park can be the centre of sport in Holsworthy.”