By Jamie Woodhouse
Cancelled matches and training sessions due to poor field conditions could be a thing of the past at Ilkley Town FC.
They are on a major fundraising campaign to build a new 3G pitch. The development of the pitch will be a joint effort between the club and Ilkley Grammar School and will be be used by over 2000 people every year.
A large portion of this funding could come from a sponsorship deal and the club officially announced detailes this week, including naming rights to the pitch.
Nicole Demot, commercial director at the club, said: “A sponsor for the 3G pitch will help the club generate some income. What we are looking at is a three year deal to give a local or regional company or possibly even a national company the rights to the name of Ilkley 3G pitch.
“We are going to try and select the 10 most prominent companies in the Ilkley district and approach them in person. That will be either the chairman or myself approaching the companies.”
Club chairman Richard Giles said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for a business to connect with parents, players, and supporters in Ilkley and the local community, plus Ilkley Grammar School.”
The amateur club currently play in the West Yorkshire Premier League Premier Division, the 10th tier of English football, and hope that the new plans could help them move towards semi-professional status.