New pavilion a dream come true for football club

Young footballers, coaches and supporters are celebrating after the official opening of a club's brand new sports pavilion, after more than 30 years of training as "nomads".

Swindon Robins Football Club has worked with South Swindon Parish Council in a regeneration project which means the football teams have an "incredible space" at Buckhurst Field in Walcot, with six new pitches and the pavilion.

Coach Adam Wainright, who has been with the club for "a long period of time" said "to have this is just incredible… the dream has finally come true".

The new facility, which was originally an old changing block, officially opened on Saturday.

Swindon Spitfires girls and women's football club, which has been running for nearly 60 years, will also be training at the grounds.

Mr Wainright said the whole set up was "massive".

"It's in the heart of Swindon. It's our postcode in terms of our demographic and it is the most deprived area in the South West so we really want to make it work, not only for the football club, but for the community," he added.

"My dad [Paul Wainright] has been chairman since the get go and Teresa Trueman's been in post since 1991 and for the two of them to be here now, [and see this], they're the unsung heroes."

He said the whole experience was bound to be emotional and he would work hard for the club to push it on even further.

"We can build bottom up and maybe have four teams instead of two," he added.

Paul Wainright said the three-and-a-half year journey towards securing the land and pavilion has been "a long and pleasurable one", with the parish council being "amazing".

He said Ms Trueman, the club secretary, and him had a very successful team which formed in 1991 with the Swindon Town Robins as they were the Swindon District Cup winners four years running.

"[But] we were nomadic, so the new facility is like a lottery win for us and the community" he said.

Councillor Steve Allsop from South Swindon Parish Council has lived in the area for nearly 60 years and said: "It's reinvesting in an area that historically had been 'disinvested' in."

He said recent investment in areas like the football club and the skatepark has been a "chance to invest in young people and the community so they have a space to grow and play."

Mr Allsop said he felt "overjoyed" to see the pavilion in use, because "that's what it's all about".

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