Sunday Club – Update

A little over a year ago, as the summer of 2024 was about to bloom, a group of club members decided to formalise their volunteerism into what is affectionately (by some) now known as the “Sunday Club”. Meeting early on non-match day Sunday mornings, this rag-tag group of volunteers have utterly transformed the grounds at Whitfield Park from an overgrown and unwelcoming place to a venue which regularly attracts compliments from its many visitors.

With the help of Kieran Cheasty and his team at Butlerstown GAA, a lot of the heavy lifting was first realised and completed, including drainage works and grounds clearance and grading. Led by chairperson Michael “that tree needs to come down” McGrath, a substantial area was cleared of overgrowth, expanding the playing and training area considerably. This approach followed on to improvements elsewhere, including the toilet facilities and dressing rooms.

To date, the following areas have been either overhauled or improved:

• Main pitch
  • drainage added in areas formerly prone to flooding
  • goal posts realigned and reseated
  • new nets purchased and installed
  • surrounding area dewilded and cleared
  • ball stop net pole replaced
• Training pitch
  • country goal area cleared of overgrown trees
  • new ball stop net purchased and erected
  • seating added
  • trip hazards made safe
  • training goals rewelded and nets added
  • surrounding area cleared
• Car Park
  • parking area extended by +200%
  • signage erected and parking plan published for matchdays/training days
• Dressing Rooms
  • dressing rooms rewired and brought up to code
  • electricity supply reinstated
  • roof leaks fixed
  • roof strengthened
• Storage Rooms/Garage
  • Two skips and countless trailer loads of rubbish and no-longer-required equipment removed
  • Referee’s room revamped in preparation for a potential change of function
  • Store rooms and garage cleared and secured
• Toilets
  • new toilet block in place reusing legacy waste management function
  • gender-specific toilets now in place for the first time at Crusaders
• Sponsorship
  • Whitfield Park is now a testimony to the willingness of local business to be involved and supporting the club with dozens of advertising signs in place and more to come
  • these signs have not only signalled the intent of the club moving forward, they have also added a spark of colour to the area
• Partnership
  • Crusaders AFC is working with Butlerstown GAA to share resources and facilities on a long term basis, thus ensuring both clubs can deliver sport and fitness to their members. Our thanks to Kieran Cheasty, Francie Lonergan and all at Butlerstown GAA for their ongoing support and efforts.

There’s a lot more work to be done at Whitfield Park on many more Sunday mornings, and doubtless the Sunday Club will continue to ensure that our club members, players, spectators and others will have the best possible amenity available to them.

It is the desire of the committe to take what the Sunday Club have delivered to-date and improve upon this through a strategic plan, funded by grants from multiple sources which are now, for the first time in many years, a realistic aspiration for our club.

Our thanks again to all our sponsors. Whether supporting the club through a personal and often anonymous donation, through annual subscription to our pitchside advertising campaign, through the funding of much needed equipment for our teams (from jerseys to training equipment to matchballs) or through the provision of other products and services, without your ongoing and valued support, the Sunday Club simply couldn’t deliver on its commitment to improve the facility at Whitfield Park for future generations of Crusaders.