Bradford Park Avenue have secured the long-term future of their home by signing a thirty year lease on the Horsfall Stadium.
Avenue owner Gareth Roberts agreed terms to take control of ground from the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council on Thursday after flying into the UK from his home in the United States.
According to a statement released by delighted officials at the National League North club, the proposals have been in the pipeline for months.
? NEWS | #BRADFORD (Park Avenue) owner Gareth Roberts has today confirmed that the club have agreed terms on a 30-year lease to take control of Horsfall Stadium from the @bradfordmdc.
Read the full story here:https://t.co/mfR1RjOpr4
— Bradford (Park Avenue) AFC (@BPAFCOfficial) November 28, 2019
Roberts, who is from Bradford but based in Texas, flew home to compete the paperwork before revealing he is also considering creating a new professional rugby team to play at the ground.
The Horsfall Community Trust, which he helped found two years ago, have big ambitious. With the help of funding partners, plans are being developed to install a 3G pitch, carry out some building work and improve lighting, fencing, roadways and parking.
With the lease secure, the club can now apply for a grant from the FA Stadium Improvement Fund.
Roberts said: “We've been working hard on the lease for a long time, and we are grateful to the Bradford Council and to Fields In Trust for showing this level of confidence in us to take the site forwards at last.
“Together with the Horsfall Trust we have created the conditions for the community to come together and invest in what I believe can be a fantastic sports hub and a whole set of varied facilities for decades to come.
“In anticipation of the signing of the lease, we have appointed Colin Wilson as our Consultant director of development to add to our existing team and help pull everything together. He'll be around quite a lot.
“We now invite potential partners and users of The Horsfall Community Sports Hub Project to come forwards with their ideas and discuss possibilities with us. We are very excited to hear from you”.
Roberts is originally from Wibsey and ultimately hopes the club's development can help local youngsters in the sear more than anybody else.
He added: “My goal is to help kids in Bradford. So many of the local grass pitches are in poor shape. Our proposed 3G pitch could be used every day and the new, modern lights cost less to run too. You can dim them, put them on and off whenever you want – they are very flexible these days.”
Image courtesy of @BPAFCOfficial/Twitter
