Member of the Senedd for Bridgend and Porthcawl, Sarah Murphy MS, has thanked residents and local businesses for their hard work and collaboration to give new life to Cornelly United F.C.
Until recently, locals were unable to use the pitch due to safety reasons. The club had to travel 15 miles to Ynasawdre in order to practice, at a rate of £180 per hour. The club also needed vital infrastructure investment including its fences repaired, new floodlights, and CCTV installation.
Since then, Cornelly F.C. has been donated:
- New drainage on the pitch, making it much safer to play.
- Upcycled CCTV, donated by St David’s Fire and Security
- installation by Huw Beatty, TV Aerials and Satellites
- Installation by Edan Installations
- Electrics and Data by LTT Constructions Ltd
- Upcycled floodlights, donated by Floodlights and Electrical
Sarah Murphy MS for Bridgend and Porthcawl met with the club earlier this year to reconstitute the football club to be able to apply for funding. Local Councillor Richard Granville, who was also at the meeting, has since been granted an application to transfer the assets from Bridgend County Borough Council to the local Community Council.
Sarah Murphy MS commented:
“Cornelly F.C, Gareth Kelly and Cllr Granville have been working so hard to get the much-needed infrastructure to be able to play at their home pitch. The football club is very much at the heart of the community here in Cornelly, and I know that it has been a strain having to travel and fund practicing at other clubs.
“The improvements to the pitch will not just impact the players, but also their families, friends as well as the wider community. I saw how much this meant to them at their recent presentation awards ceremony.
“Grassroots football and other sports are important to our community. It has been wonderful to be part of bringing new life to the club. We all want to see a thriving Cornelly United FC and I look forward to visiting them at their next game”.
Gareth Kelly from Cornelly F.C. said:
“These young players have been struggling without a local pitch to play. The club were having to pay £180 to play or practice, and travel to Ynasawdre. This investment by local businesses through their own time and donations have given us so many new opportunities for the club, and for the players that use the pitch as well as the community here in Cornelly”.
Welcoming these improvements, Councillor Richard Granville added:
“It is fantastic to see these improvements take place. This is simply a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I hope that this improvement will bring the community of Cornelly together after the pandemic as well as give young people the opportunity to learn new skills and make new friends.
“The Community Asset Transfer will mean that the community will look after the upkeep of the pitch, and ensure that we are not in this situation again. It’s been great to work with Sarah Murphy MS, Gareth, and the local businesses who have worked on this. ”
The club is now able to play home matches. You can find information on their matches via their Twitter here: Cornelly United (@cornellyunited) / Twitter
