ALVECHURCH FC’s Director of Sport Mark Fogarty gave a presentation to Alvechurch Parish Council earlier this week highlighting the potential the club has involving the local community.
Fogarty has been involved in similar projects at both Solihull Moors and Leamington FC, helping to develop successful community sections at both clubs.
He departed Moors after six-and-a-half-years with the club boasting five disability teams, 90 junior teams, 150 full-time 16 to 19 year-old players and ran sessions in 30 schools every week.
However, the club are waiting to find out whether the funds will be released to complete the £1.6 million development of The Hayes that would allow Fogarty’s plan to come to fruition.
Fogarty said: “I think Alvechurch could make the biggest story out of all of them, it’s a hotbed of sport, people are crying out for this and right now we can’t do what we want to do.
“We’ve built a 3G, we’ve got a clubhouse but the rest of the land needs to be developed with grass pitches and a new stadium.
“It’s about the community and the only way to make a successful club is by involving the whole community.
“That word inclusivity is so important, if you start involving and including everybody you’ve got a great chance of being a successful team and club.
“Fair play to everybody in the room, there was a lot of positivity, what I had to say was welcomed.”
His work with both Moors and Leamington won National and local awards for Community Provision and was inspired by his son Charlie who was involved in a road traffic accident that left him with a severe brain injury.
Fogarty fielded questions from Coun. Chairman Marc Worrall.
A date is yet to be set on when Bromsgrove Planning will decide whether the two sites Alvechurch currently pay for – Lye Meadow and The Hayes – are linked which would release the necessary funds to redevelop the latter.
