Football club prepares to build pavilion project

Melton borough councillors agreed on Tuesday night to contribute £25,000 to the scheme, which will be used by community groups as well as the footballers.

The club plans to build a pavilion on land it leases on Nottingham Road with four changing rooms, two rooms for match officials, a multi-function community room, a kitchen and toilet block.

Pitches have already been created at the site for youth and junior sides but the development will allow the senior and vets teams to play there too to consolidate the club at one venue.

The quality of the new facilities will also enable Bottesford’s men’s 1st team to move into the higher level Leicestershire Senior League from the North Leicestershire League they currently play at.

Nicholas Dobney, the club’s fundraising officer and one of the main drivers of the pavilion project said: “This is going to be fantastic for the club.

“The first team currently play on the village hall on a pitch where people walk their dogs and some drive their cars over the grass to leave it rutted.

“They also can’t use the village hall facilities and have just a portable toilet but now they can play on a lovely pitch with great facilities.”

The Football Foundation - funded by the Premier League and FA Facilities Fund - has contributed £507,348 towards the venture.

Bottesford FC has also raised £32,000 towards it through a Christmas disco, bonus ball and a ‘buy a brick’ scheme, where people were invited to pay £50 for a brick which will have their name or organisation on it and be displayed inside the new building.

Bottesford FC, which was founded in the 1950s, has grown hugely in the last decade and now has adults and junior boys’ and girls’ teams for many age groups.

It is hoped work will start shortly on the new pavilion and be completed by around March next year.

Mr Dobney said several community groups had already shown an interest in using the new facilities.