New clubhouse work set to start

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME . . . the new Saddleworth Rangers clubhouse.

OUT with the old, long live the new.

The demolition of the current clubhouse at Saddleworth Rangers is set to begin, ahead of the building of a brand new £315,000 structure.

The last-ever game played out in front of the old clubhouse - which was built in 1974 - took place at the weekend, with Rangers winning 30-28 against Leigh East in front of a host of past players.

"It is a huge moment for our club," said Rangers chairman Shane Wilson, whose club raised £3,000 thanks to events around the match. "We've had some great times in the old clubhouse, but it's now falling apart. We really need this new facility and we're confident it's going to secure our future for decades to come."

Committee member Dave Tyrrell jnr is overseeing the building project, which will see the new clubhouse open and ready for the start of the new season next March.

"We have a couple of weeks to get the photos and framed shirts into storage and rip out the interior fittings before we can start to pull it down," said Tyrrell. "The build will then take shape with a number of familiar faces at the club stepping in to play their part.

"We're really pleased it's going to be a clubhouse built by people with a history at Rangers and an affection for the club."

The total build cost is expected to be around £315,000 and the coffers received a huge boost last month when Rangers won a £38,000 grant from the waste recycling company Veolia.

The club will still need to take out a mortgage to cover a funding shortfall of around £70,000.

"We've waited a long time for this moment and lots of people have worked hard to get here from Terry Flanagan, Mick Healy and Mick Swift in the early days through to all those who have raised money or made generous donations to the cause in the past year," Wilson added.

The only part of the existing shell to survive will be the gym, which is being converted into an additional two changing rooms.

The main clubhouse will almost double in size and patio doors on the front of the building will open out onto a flagged area.