FORMER BLUES STRIKER BRIGHT TO OFFICIALLY OPEN NEW FACILITIES
A FORMER Premier League striker will be guest of honour at Leek Town on Saturday.
Mark Bright will be at Harrison Park for Blues’ Northern Premier League game against Newcastle Town to officially unveil the club’s new facilities.
Leek have recently ended a year-long absence from their headquarters after having a new 3G surface installed.
Neil Baker’s men used Buxton’s ground as a temporary home while the work was being carried out.
They worked with the Football Foundation, Staffs FA and Staffordshire Moorlands District Council to secure a grant of more than £500,000 towards the project.
Leek have since played two matches back at home - beating Kendal Town 3-0 and drawing 1-1 with Prescot Cables.
And Bright, pictured, a former Blues striker who went on to play for the likes of Port Vale, Leicester City, Crystal Palace, Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton, will be on hand to cut the ribbon at this weekend’s game.
Leek chairman Jon Eeles, main picture, said: “I was encouraged to have an opening ceremony by the Staffs FA, Moorlands Council and Football Foundation.
“Mark has kindly agreed to come up and perform it.”
Eeles is also hoping there will be another healthy crowd at Harrison Park to mark the occasion.
Their return against Kendal drew in 556 fans, with another 448 watching the Tuesday night draw with Prescot.
“I was particularly pleased with the Prescot attendance,” added Eeles. “It was a midweek, Champions League night and you can sometimes struggle to reach 300.
“So to get the number we did was fantastic. The Kendal crowd was also impressive. People would obviously want to come and look at the new facility so there was a bit of a novelty factor, plus fans hadn’t been at the ground for more than a year. “I’m expecting another decent crowd on Saturday because Newcastle Town will bring a few, plus it is international break so there might be some Stoke fans who turn up.
“If we could get 400 I would be happy, 500 I’d be delighted. But over time we want to be aiming for 350 to 400 on a consistent basis.” Blues dropped out of the play-off places last weekend after losing 2-0 at City of Liverpool.
They are only out of the top five on goal difference, but Eeles is now targeting an unbeaten run to keep them in the upper echelons. “There was no lack of effort from the players and you have to give City of Liverpool credit because they played well,” explained Eeles.
“A couple of our lads were not quite at it and the pitch didn’t really help us either.
“Hopefully it is just a blip and we can get back on it
“The league is very competitive. Marine and Workington have the resources, but we’d still like to aim for the top five.
“But I think we need to play another 10 games before we can say what a realistic target is for us for the rest of the season.”
Meanwhile, Leek have unveiled a system to book their pitch for use online.
A number of local clubs, including Rocester and AFC Hanley are among those who are using the facility throughout the week.
Clubs can now visit the Leek Town website to book available slots and find out more information about the facility.
“We’ve got a few clubs training with us and we’re hoping to bring in some more as things develop,” explained Eeles.
“There’s also a community league going to be starting shortly, which will help people get back into football.
“This brings more people into the club and generates secondary income from people spending the cafe.
“The more people who use it, the more money it will raise which will help not just Neil’s budget, but the club as a whole.”