All Weather Development

The development of the Club's three 5 a side all weather pitches at Knockgriffin Park began at the end of April with An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern turning the sod. The development of a floodlit all weather training ground is the biggest investment ever at Knockgriffin Park at a cost of £200,000.Club Chairman Michael Kirby welcomed An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to Knockgriffin Park. An Taoiseach was greeted by club officials sponsors and supporters during his stay at Knockgriffin and he wished the club well with its plans for the future He paid tribute to all the voluntary personnel who give so much of their time to the youth of Midleton. An Taoiseach also joined in for a kick around with some of Midleton Schoolboy players on the playing field.

The base work has been carried out by local contractor Christy O Regan that consisted of removing over 100 loads of topsoil, install drainage and 1000 ton of stone grades to prepare for carpet. Cronins Fencing have also started erecting a 12 ft high fence with kick board around the perimeter of the All Weather pitches. The contractor for floodlights is Shanleys Electrical who are installing four 12-metre Poles with twelve 1000-watt lamps with provisions also for close circuit television and p.a. system. 
Main Contractors Playfield Sports Ltd have now started to lay the carpet and hoped to have the  project completed for the middle of June. This new playing surface is designed for all field sports. Made with an exclusive polyethylene fibre, it is a softer surface offering a lower co-efficient of friction, making turning and sliding easier and dramatically reducing the abrasive "Carpet Burn" The dimensions will be 60 X 40 metres and it can be used for a variety of sports. The All Weather training ground has three 5 aside pitches and is available for booking seven days a week. Its potential is immense and it is anticipated that it will be in huge demand by various clubs, firm, and groups in the East Cork Area. The All Weather ground will also be of great benefit to all club players the whole year round for training and coaching and should improve the quality and technique of players in our club. The All Weather development is funded on three fronts by the National Lottery grant of £65,000, Football Association of Ireland grant of £15,000, Midleton F. C. Ground Development draw £40,000 and a £80,000 loan from Trustee Savings Bank Midleton to cover the total cost of the £200,000 project. Overseeing the All Weather Project is Club Development Officer John Tighe, Club Chairman Mick Kirby, Electrical Consultant John Lawless and Architectural Planning Consultant Paul Horgan of Cashman and Associates.Midleton Football Club is determined to develop Knockgriffin Park to the highest standards. Since our club purchased the ground in 1984, considerable improvements have taken place at the venue. The Management committee is anxious to bring its ambitious plans to fruition, thereby providing East Cork soccer fraternity with facilities that all sportsmen can be proud of.

Knockgriffin Park, which caters for 15 teams each week, has always been available to the various Leagues in the Cork region for their finals and this policy will continue in future years. Those who have benefited in the past are; Cork Schoolboys League, Munster Senior League , Cork Athletic Union League the Munster Schools League, Cork Ladies Soccer League and the East Cork National Schools.

Our club facilities have also been used for warm up matches in preparation for European under 16 Championships and in 1994 Germany and Russia used Knockgriffin Park in preparation for the European Under 16 Championship which was staged in Ireland. Austria played Croatia in an U19 European Qualifying match in November. The local schools, Midleton Community College and Midleton C.B.S. use our playing pitches regularly and both were involved in Munster finals at our grounds during the year with Midleton Community College winning the Munster under 18 trophy.

Midleton F.C. realises that the best facilities should and must be available to players and spectators, hence the reason for undertaking this project. The work being carried out can only be completed with the help and support from all members and the public and we appeal to everybody to support our fund raising activities. The Club Lotto committee and sellers deserve enormous credit for all the fund-raising they have done over the years.
Midleton Soccer Club has set up a voluntary steering committee to help them raise the necessary finance needed to clear the £80,000 loan for the first phase of the development. The expansion of the Club weekly Lotto is the first fund raising venture to be undertaken. The Midleton Football Club are more than appreciative of the hard work being done by all committee members, football managers and coaches as all have contributed to the growth of the club.

Mick Kirby Club Chairman who has been instrumental in the development of facilities at Knockgriffin Park Stated the All Weather Facility has the potential to be very successful and could play a major part to further develop facilities at Knockgriffin Park. The Second phase of the project is the construction of dressing rooms, showers, meeting room and kitchen facilities, office and club kit laundry room. Overall this new All Weather facility is part of a £600,000 development plan that will also include another block of changing rooms to cater for the needs of the whole sports complex, the construction of a social centre, floods lights for number one playing pitch and the upgrade and extension of our covered stand to a seated stand. The completion of the whole project will depend very much on fundraising and a substantial grant from the National Lottery but when complete Midleton Soccer Club will have one of the most modern facilities of its kind in the country.