League of Ireland First Division team Wexford FC is set to move home to a new custom-built stadium in the town that could boast a maximum capacity of 6,000.
The club will move from its current venue of Ferrycarrig Park for the facility that is part of Wexford County Council’s wide-ranging development plan. The new stadium will have a minimum capacity of 4,000.
This plan aims for the construction of a new university campus, two new schools, as well as housing and other sporting facilities on a 100-acre plot stretching from Killeens to Whiterock Hill in the county.
“This announcement is not just great news for Wexford FC, but it’s great news for Wexford football as a whole,” said Wexford FC chief executive Tony Doyle.
“These facilities will be there for everyone – the Wexford Football League, the Women’s League and Wexford FC as the League of Ireland club. It’ll be a game-changer across all strands of our game.”
The upgrade will be a welcome one for Wexford FC fans who faced a difficult journey to the remote location of Ferrycarrig Park, which has been the club’s home since its formation in 2007.
Despite this, attendances were still high as the club reached this season’s play-offs but ultimately missed out on promotion. Ferrycarrig Park will be bought by the Council as it looks to use the land for a new motorway project while providing a long-term lease of the Killeens site to the club.
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) was instrumental in securing permission for the new stadium as it aided negotiations in the early stages. It is due to continue its involvement moving forwards.
“The FAI have been fantastic with us,” Doyle added, according to the Irish Independent. “They’re so supportive of what we’re trying to do.
“That support will be absolutely vital going forward. We’ll need all of their expertise in terms of designing the stadium and facilities and meeting with UEFA requirements.”
The project will also allow for the delivery of an all-weather 4G pitch for the Wexford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).
A timescale for the new developments has yet to be announced but it is expected that the stadium will be top of the waiting list.
