CELTIC SO GLAD TO GO HOME

NORTHERN League Division Two club West Allotment Celtic have secured their long-term future after years of uncertainty.

The North Tyneside outfit were on the brink of going out of business in the summer of 2017 after a ground dispute with the Northumberland FA over their former Whitley Park home.

They resigned from the Northern League and looked set to bring down the curtain on 90 years of football at the club, only to then withdraw their resignation after moving into a new temporary home at Druid Park in the shadow of Newcastle Airport, almost 14 miles from West Allotment.

Now, after spending the last two seasons at Druid Park, a historical agreement has been secured to take West Allotment back home where they will groundshare with Step 8 Northern Alliance club Forest Hall.

The two clubs have received a further boost with the news that they have landed a £100,000 grant from the Football Stadia Improvement Fund to make the necessary improvements to help the Palmersville Sports Complex meet Northern League criteria.

Allotment chairman Jim Wilson hailed the agreement between the two clubs and expressed his delight that his club would be moving home after an absence of almost 25 years.

He said: “This is a magnificent partnership that will provide a superb facility for the local community, whilst massively helping the development of two long standing local football clubs.

“Everyone at West Allotment Celtic cannot wait to get started at Palmersville and continue to build on the already strong relationship that we have with Forest Hall and Forest Hall YPC.

“The club has been based away from its community for almost 25 years now, so it is wonderful to be heading home at long last.

“It has only happened due to the unstinting effort and generosity of many people over many, many months.

“All at West Allotment Celtic will strive to reward this determination by bringing Northern League Division One football to East Palmersville as soon as possible.

Tradition

“It would be fantastic if this journey is supported by as many local people as possible. We promise to provide the highly entertaining football that the new facility deserves.”

Forest Hall YPC have recently taken over the lease of the complex from North Tyneside Council and they will continue to run the facility.

That has allowed them to enter into the agreement with West Allotment and plan for the ground improvements that are set to take place over the next two months, such as floodlights, a grandstand, dugouts and a perimeter fence.

Forest Hall’s senior football representative Dale Outerside commented: “We are all delighted, excited and looking forward to getting started.

“West Allotment Celtic is a club with a long and successful history and tradition in local football here, and for us to be in a position to link up is fantastic.

“Our team will continue to be based around giving opportunity to young players.

“For those who have the drive to want to progress within the Non-League football system then this link-up can really help and support them.”