- WightFibre announces sponsorship of new state-of-the-art sports facility – WightFibre Park
- New home for Newport Football Club with all-new 3G pitch
- Community sports hub for mens, womens, junior and all-inclusive football
Wightfibre and Newport Football Club are delighted to announce WightFibre’s support for the new, state-of-the-art football and community stadium.
The stadium is also the new home of Newport Football Club.
WightFibre Park, to be located off The Racecourse, has been designed to maximise community use by offering top-class facilities including a grandstand, clubhouse and a new 3G all-weather pitch enabling Newport to play all the way up to Southern Football League Division 1.
There is already interest in developing women’s and junior football at the new stadium while the IW College and the Island’s public health service are also looking to use the facility for sports coaching courses and to encourage participation in football and other activities as a means of staying healthy.
Work on the stadium can begin once planning permission for the retail park at Newport FC’s former ground at St George’ Way is granted. This development will fund the relocation and the application is due to go before IW Council planners in October.
Announcing the provisional sponsorship of the new stadium, WightFibre chief executive John Irvine said: “As a local island company, WightFibre cares deeply about giving back to the Island. We are proud to put our name to what will be a fabulous, new, sporting venue that will benefit our Island community”
“WightFibre Park will be a real hub bringing together people of all abilities and uniting them in the name of sport.”
WightFibre Park’s new club house will have space for public and business use including a conference/function room to host community, private and business events on non-match days. There is also a disabled/vulnerable persons viewing room intended for use by families and individuals from local disability and age charities along with Mountbatten hospice.
Paul Spreadbury, Newport FC supporters trust chairman, said: “As a business that is all about connecting people, WightFibre is the perfect company to partner us in what we are trying to achieve.
“Our vision is to establish Newport FC as a club at the very heart of the community and we know that Wightfibre have similar values. As well as being a home that the club can be proud of, WightFibre Park will be a vibrant venue based around healthy activity that the whole community can be part of and benefit from.
“Inclusive community uses include child and under 16’s football while we also have interest from local physical and learning disabilities clubs and charities while Newport FC will itself be coaching at least four disabled football teams. There are local football clubs looking to use the facility as well as schools and 5-a-side football teams.
“We are looking also to set up a female 5-a-side league in the first season and hope to grow this into at least one, if not two, full-size ladies teams in the second season.
“We really are excited about creating a community sporting hub and we are thrilled to have WightFibre on board as an important part of the team.”
