A New Dawn for Bangor City Stadium: Fresh Ambitions Unveiled

July 4th: A New Dawn for Bangor City Stadium

July 4th, a date synonymous with independence, marked a significant milestone for Bangor City Stadium as the new board held their first AGM, celebrating a fresh start with renewed positivity and ambition. The new leadership, led by Chairman Nick Pritchard, declared a bold new direction for the community and football in Bangor.

A Vision for the Future

"The board's mission is to benefit the entire community and football in Bangor, providing a platform for Bangor 1876 FC to ascend to the Welsh Premier League," stated Nick. "We’re not going to hang about; we want to move this forward as fast as possible for the community and for the Bangor 1876 fans. We have one eye on the present and the other on the future, nurturing grassroots through our board members Lee Dixon, Dafydd Evans, and Lee Johnson, building up the youth teams to hopefully create the stars of tomorrow."

The stadium will also proactively support local teams and introduce a new reserve team to bolster the footballing framework at the ground.

Reuniting Fans and Community

Nick Pritchard continued, "We want fans old and new to come together like the old Farrar Road days! The support from fans of the old Bangor City Farrar Road ground has been so positive, and we can’t wait for the new season to start and hopefully see many new faces joining in the spirit of the game. But more importantly, we aim to unite our great community as one! We want to see kids and families at the games, and furthermore, we’re going to provide FREE entry to all kids and coaches involved with our grassroots teams."

Upgrading Facilities and Sustainability Efforts

The stadium currently meets UEFA Category 1 standards, hosting UEFA games and putting Bangor firmly on the European football map. Local clubs Caernarfon Town FC and Connah's Quay Nomads FC have hosted European teams for their home fixtures in the UEFA Europa Conference League, further enhancing the stadium's reputation. Plans are underway to upgrade to Category 2 and potentially Category 3.

With over £0.5 million already invested, ongoing work aims at achieving carbon neutrality through solar panels and LED lighting, including floodlights, showcasing the board's commitment to sustainability. The final investment is expected to double this figure upon the completion of the current stadium improvements, with additional funds going into the community and financial support for local grassroots. The investment required will be considerably more with the proposed expansion plans. Hopefully, given our commitment to the stadium to date, the FAW and others will support the future of football in North Wales.

Strong Support from Bangor 1876

Bangor 1876 held their own AGM on July 15th, where it became apparent that both the 1876 board, players, and fans broadly supported the ambition shown by the new Bangor City Stadium board. Some of the BCS board members were also in attendance to show ongoing commitment. This bodes well for a bright future for the Bangor footballing tradition to continue with positivity and the potential to create a single joint operating financial board. The respective boards have also agreed that a member from each will sit on the other in a spirit of transparency, clear direction, and alignment. Some fans also suggested that the club could potentially change the current team name to “Bangor City 1876,” a move that the Bangor City Stadium board would fully support.

Exciting New Developments

Part of the new plans includes a community centre with an indoor pitch to complement the existing 3G pitch. The Bangor City Stadium board expressed their desire for the community and schools to utilise the stadium facilities extensively.

Geraint Parry, a remaining board member from the previous administration, commented, “First and foremost, I am a Bangor 1876 fan, and I see this investment and new vigour as the golden opportunity us Bangor fans have been wishing for, for many years. As a Bangor City Stadium board member, I’m looking forward to helping take football in Bangor to the next level and beyond.”

Deputy Chairman Richard Bennett added, “In addition to helping football and the community, Bangor itself is in real need of a shot in the arm to recover from obvious decline. Hopefully, what we do here will trickle down into the city itself and help kickstart the boost it requires.”

Outgoing Chairman Dilwyn Jones remarked, “The time is right for fresh eyes to see beyond what we have achieved and go up a gear. I am excited to hear all of the new board’s plans, and I wish the new board and Chairman all the very best and look forward to seeing the stadium and football in Bangor go from strength to strength.”

Chairman Nick Pritchard concluded, “On behalf of myself and the board, we would like to thank the outgoing board members for their dedication and hard work over the past few years in ensuring that we even have a place to play football in Bangor. It is because of their endeavours that we are here, and we are now opening a new page in a new chapter which will help us all take football in Bangor back to where it should have been all along.”