Plans to scrap and rebuild Manx football club's run down facilities

The facility was built by the government in 1980s and is now owned by Douglas Council

Plans to demolish an Isle of Man football club's condemned changing rooms and build new facilities have been put forward by Douglas Council.

A £500,000 replacement of Pulrose United's clubhouse has been proposed, with half the cost due to be met by UK charity the Football Foundation.

The 1980s log cabin site was declared unsafe by the council in March.

Club member Paul Henry said he was "glad to see light at the end of the tunnel" after a difficult period.

The changing rooms at the Spring Valley playing fields were used by a number of other clubs as well as Pulrose United, which have been using temporary facilities this season.

The proposed replacement building on the site would see four changing rooms built to meet Football Foundation standards, along with changing areas for referees, toilets, a storage area and a hatch to serve refreshments to spectators.

New facility

Douglas Councillor Andrew Bentley, who is chairman of the council's regeneration and community committee, said the plans were important to secure football facilities "for an area of Douglas with a population the same size as Ramsey".

A replacement would have been "beyond the council's means" without the promise of a £250,000 charity grant if the plans are approved, Mr Bentley said.

He added that the remaining funding provided by the council and the clubs would be spread over "many years" and "not be paid all at once".

Mr Henry said Pulrose United were "not happy" about the lack of a new clubroom in the plans, but were "prepared to live with it just to get the building done".

"We had to forgo that as it would have sent the build costs over the top", he said.

However he added that the option to expand the site in future was included in the plan.