Nuneaton: Football club welcomes street artist and DJs

Artist Katie O has been tasked with brightening up part of the Liberty Way Stadium

A non-league football club is embracing youth culture to develop closer community links - by opening its stadium to drum and bass DJs and a street artist.

Nuneaton Borough, who play in the seventh tier of English football, tantalisingly missed out on promotion to National League North in May.

Manager Jimmy Ginnelly, who also owns the Warwickshire club, has already welcomed back his playing squad for pre-season training, but they're not the only people invited to the Liberty Way Ground.

Nuneaton Borough owner-manager Jimmy Ginnelly is counting down to the new season in Southern League Premier Division Central

"I was watching from afar," said the lifelong Nuneaton fan. "The place was crumbling around itself and I couldn't believe the nosedive of our historic, hometown club."

After deciding to buy the club nearly five years ago, Mr Ginnelly has looked to progress with the support of the Nuneaton community and local sponsors.

"I just wanted to give this club a little bit of a lift and will work with anybody that wants to help me," he said.

He recognises the power of community support for a football club whose budget is so far removed from the riches on offer in the Premier League.

And as part of Nuneaton Borough's development, the club now has 40 junior and six women's teams.

But it's not just football, with the town of Nuneaton forging a reputation for colourful street art, break-dancing and drum and bass music, all supported by James Bennett and his Nuneaton-based Reel People community arts organisation.

Jack Irving, Ryan Oliver, Alex Moore, Josh Irving and Chad Irving bring their Mad Anticz event to Nuneaton on Saturday

Nuneaton-based Mad Anticz stage their second music event at the stadium on Saturday and have managed to attract some of the country's best-known artists to perform in front of up to 500 people.

"We're just trying to raise the music profile of the town," said Josh Irving, who's part of a group planning larger music events in the area over the next 12 months.

"All of us are DJs who started in our bedrooms and it's just developed from there.

"There wasn't much for drum and bass music fans in this area and now we think there is."

Their association with James Bennett goes back to their school days when he was their art teacher at the town's George Elliot School.

James Bennett has driven several street art projects in Nuneaton, including the colourful transformation of a town centre car park and a wall dedicated to England football heroes

"Nuneaton's a great town, I love it," said Mr Bennett. "And if everyone uses their skills, we can make a difference.

"Nuneaton was really great years ago. It still is, but it needs some help and that's what we are all trying to do.

"This partnership with the football club is a crossover - everybody coming together and trying to turn things around for the community.

"It's so easy to work together and it's so important. That's how the town will turn around."

Nuneaton Borough moved to Liberty Way in 2007

And now Nuneaton Borough's ground is getting a splash of colour, thanks to Coventry-based artist Katie O.

She's been commissioned to paint an area of terracing opposite the managers' dugouts, paying homage to the history of Nuneaton and its football club.

"Nuneaton is very similar to Coventry and I really enjoy working here," the artist said.

"James [Bennett] is the inspiration for me, he's so passionate about making a difference in Nuneaton and I absolutely love working with him.

"When people are giving up their time and energy to help their community, it inspires you to do the same.

"It just takes one person to be so dedicated and things can happen from there."

Many street artists create their art with spray paint, but Katie O is a fan of the more traditional paint brush

She has been given free reign to develop her mural, although manager Jimmy Ginnelly was keen to see the club's badge incorporated

Katie O didn't originally plan to paint the terrace steps, but felt it complemented the wall painting