Warrington Town put training ground plans on hold

The team currently hold training sessions at JMO Sportspark in Skelmersdale but were hopeful of securing a floodlit, grass pitch to use.

However, chairman Toby Macormac says talks with Warrington Borough Council and leisure services provider Livewire “petered out” and that plans are now on hold until at least next season.

“I think every football club wants a floodlit, grass training facility. That’s the dream for everyone,” he told the Guardian.

“We were chatting to the council and Livewire about it, but it didn’t happen. It petered out in the end.

“At present, we’re still training in Skelmersdale and we’ll likely see the season out there.

“JMO is good for our lads who are based around Liverpool, but it is a shame we can’t find anywhere to train in our own town.

“With facilities the way they are in the town, I think there’s only one of those that exists at Victoria Park and that’s block booked by the rugby.

“There is an argument to train at the ground, but it would cost us more in maintaining our pitch than it would to train at JMO.

“We’ll look at it again for next season, but a lot of that will depend on what division we are in.”

Yellows chairman Toby Macormac. Picture by Mike Boden

With more than half of the season gone, Yellows are well-placed to mount a serious assault on promotion to the National League North.

They sit third in the Evo-Stik Premier Division, just one point behind leaders Nantwich Town having played two games less.

Things are moving along off the field as well, with work to extend the changing rooms at Cantilever Park well underway and scheduled to be completed before their next home game against Lancaster City on January 19.

More upgrades – such as additional turnstiles and improved floodlights – would need to be added should Town be promoted, but Macormac says that obstacle will be cleared if and when the need arises.

“We’ve got Lancaster here on the 19th, so we’re using this window to get the work on the changing rooms done,” he said.

“All the internal walls are down. It’s just the electrics and plumbing that now needs sorting.

“We’ll give them a bit of TLC as well, and all being well they will be finished for the Lancaster game.

“It has made a difference, to be fair. It’s amazing what a small amount of work can do.

“Anything else hinges on promotion. If we went up, we would need to be at a ground grade B by March 2020 in order to stay up.

“At the minute, we need a C and once the changing rooms are done we will be well within that.”