Bray Wanderers re-affirm commitment to leave Carlisle Grounds and develop land

Bray Wandererers have re-affirmed their commitment to move out of the Carlisle Grounds and have the land rezoned for commercial development.

The commitment was made in a bizarre and wide-ranging statement issued by the acting chairman Gerry Mulvey, controller of the Milway Dawn group that majority owns the club.

Writing that the club is now financially stable for the foreseeable future after he withdrew his own financial, the property developer reiterated the club's commitment to move to a new site.

Mulvey revealed that the club – which until yesterday couldn't guarantee it could pay its own players' wages – has been in negotiations to buy a new stadium.

“[We] are in preliminary negotiations to buy a new Ground, and will be seeking from Wicklow County Council the rezoning of the land in The Carlisle grounds with the development proceeds used to fund the construction of what will be the best Academy and sporting Grounds in the country,” the property developer said.

Comparing Wicklow County Council to the communist dictatorship of North Korea, Mulvey said the club would work with the council towards a mutually-beneficial business arrangement.

The club has long stated its aim of moving to a greenfield site outside the town and funding the move with proceeds from the rezoning and development of the current stadium on the waterfront.

The Carlisle Grounds is the oldest continually-used football ground in the country and has been the home of the town's football teams since the 1920s.

The ground is owned wholly by Wicklow County Council on behalf of the people of Wicklow and has been retained solely for use for football and, in recent years, rugby league.

Bray were one of the first clubs to complete a five-year strategic plan on the advice of the FAI and released the finished document last November.

In it, they outlined their intention to be involved in the rezoning of the land for commercial development and to move to a new location on the extended LUAS line

This was denied in January by then-chairman Denis O'Connor under questioning by town councillors at a Bray Municipal District meeting.

The controlling stake in Bray Wanderers is held by the Millway Dawn group, which is 80% owned by Mulvey and 20% by O'Connor.

Mulvey was previously the majority shareholder in St Patrick's Athletic at a time when it was speculated that club intended to sell Richmond Park for commercial development.

Mulvey closed by guaranteeing that Bray Wanderers will produce a football academy to rival those of Manchester United and Barcelona before quoting eminent philosopher Ernest Agyemang Yeboah.

Bray Wanderers statement in full:

Bray Wanderers FC can now officially confirm the club is financially stable for the foreseeable future and have a vision for the future unrivalled by any other Football Club in Ireland.

Wicklow County has unfortunately now attained the accolade of being the North Korea of Ireland for business.
But like all suppressed people, they eventually revolt, a revolution of Football is going to start and Bray Wanderers will be the leaders not just for Wicklow but for Ireland in this revolt.
Ireland produced great world beating players, from Roy Keane, John Giles, Liam Brady, Robbie Keane to Ray Houghton and many many more.
The problem and question is why cannot Ireland produce such great talent anymore.
We at Bray Wanderers are going to answer the questions and solve this problem.

We are going to give Wicklow and Ireland something to be proud of where there will be an academy to rival the best in the world. Our vision and ,rest assured ,we will execute the delivery of our vision is a world class football academy to rival the best in the world.
To achieve this, yes, we are going to and are in preliminary negotiations to buy a new Ground, and will be seeking from Wicklow County Council the rezoning of the land in The Carlisle grounds with the development proceeds used to fund the construction of what will be the best Academy and sporting Grounds in the country.

To keep the club on a sound financial Footing and independently fund this academy and club forevermore, we do have a plan on how to do that.
This will be at no cost to the Exchequer or County Council. But when you operate in North Korea, these options are difficult to achieve, but we will achieve it.
Eventually when we have succeeded in our vision creating the best centre of Excellence in Ireland, based on Academies such as Barcelona Manchester United and other in that calibre, creating the best production line of players in Ireland, we will hand the facility and sustainable business over to a trust who will protect the club and the development of Football in Wicklow & Ireland long after our collective lifetimes.

There will be may naysayers to this and to them, we say,
Ideally we'd bring in Conor McGregor for a quote but our response is,
"One great enemy we must all endeavor to fear not conquering is fear. Fear can cripple purpose and purposeful life. Fear asks question we must fear. Fear makes vision a nightmare. One must always cross the barrier of fear to get to the great city of true purposefulness. A great number of us who are unable to live to accomplish the true reason for our existence on earth are unable to cross the barrier of fear in the first place."
Those afraid and living Fear, rest assured fear has no place in Bray Wanderers.