Local clubs want to restore Athlone Town FC's old pitch

Five years after it hosted its last match, one of the most important sites in the history of local sport is a desolate and unkempt field. Once home to Athlone Town FC, the site of St Mel's Park is today home to nothing other than a couple of grazing horses. It's hard to reconcile its current appearance with the fact that this is where the League of Ireland's oldest club had many of its greatest days. It's where league titles were secured and world-famous clubs, most notably an AC Milan side coached by Giovanni Trapattoni, came to take on 'the Bit of Blue'. Local football clubs are now hoping to rescue the council-owned St Mel's site from the sporting wilderness. Approaches have been made to the local authority by Melville Celtic and other clubs who want to restore the old pitch for their own use. Speaking to the Westmeath Independent on Monday, Athlone Town Clerk Hugh O'Reilly said the council was considering its options for the site but no decision had been taken on it as yet. "We have received expressions of interest in the site from sports clubs and we have looked at a couple of possibilities for it," said Mr O'Reilly. "Access is one of the difficulties that we have with that site because at the moment the only way to get into it is by going under the bridge at Sarsfield Square." Labour councillor Jim Henson said he has lobbied the council on behalf of Melville Celtic. He said Melville requested "a short term lease" on the St Mel's site and if this was granted the club would develop a training pitch there. He explained that this would help to limit 'wear and tear' on the nearby Sarsfield Park pitch where Melville Celtic and Melville United currently play their home games. "In recent years Athlone Town Council gave €15,000 towards the upgrading of football facilities for Melville and the facilities there at Sarsfield are now very good. There are lots of lads who would be willing to put (the old St Mel's pitch) right and use it as their practice pitch if given the chance." Cllr Henson said he would be having a further meeting with the council to discuss the issue this week and he was hopeful that a football pitch would soon be redeveloped at the St Mel's site. "I think that would be great. It would be a shame to leave it lying idle," said Cllr Henson. The last senior game at St Mel's Park was a 2-2 draw between Athlone Town and Monaghan United which took place on November 10, 2006.