New owners of Bray Wanderers make home ground commitment

The new owners of Bray Wanderers entered into a commitment that they would not seek to acquire the team's grounds in the Co Wicklow town without having delivered a new location for the club.

The Carlisle Grounds in Bray are close to the seafront and across the road from the Dart station and would be a prime development site if they became available.

There are plans for an extension to the Luas that would stop at the grounds, which would further increase the attractiveness of the site.

The grounds are owned by Wicklow County Council. The club was given a 35-year lease in January 2001 which gives it the right to the grounds for a minimal rent, as long as the grounds are used for soccer matches. Any development of the grounds would require a deal with the council.

Takeover

Earlier this month the club’s board approved a takeover by Milway Dawn Ltd, which is owned by Denis O’Connor, a director and chairman of Bray Wanderers Ltd, and businessman

Gerry Mulvey

.

Mr Mulvey

, a former majority owner of St Patrick’s Athletic, owns 80 per cent of Milway.

Prior to the takeover, Milway gave a commitment that, in consideration for the transfer of the shares, it would commit to operating and managing the club to play in the League of Ireland, support the club and foster its development as a community organisation and seek to ensure the club adheres to the terms of the Carlisle Grounds lease.

Centre of excellence

It said it would “seek to develop a Football Centre of Excellence, suitable for a League of Ireland stadium” with three full-sized pitches, one of which would be an all-weather pitch, and suitable, high standard changing facilities and a gymnasium.

It would “not take any steps to acquire, by any means, direct or indirect, by act or omission, the Carlisle Grounds until such time as the facilities [outlined above] have been delivered to the club”.

Late last year, it appeared the McGettigan Group, which owns the Royal Hotel, Bray, was going to invest in the club, but the deal did not go ahead. The group is now looking to have €30,000 it invested returned. Mr O’Connor said relations between the two sides broke down in April, leading to the deal with Milway.