Silverlands switch to artificial turf

The bouncing Bucks - 6-0 winners at Skelmersdale United in the EVO-STIK NPL's top flight on Saturday - have revealed ground-breaking plans to install a new state-of-the-art 3G pitch and pavilion with the facility able to offer educational programmes, including BTEC and A Levels courses, in a classroom environment.

Bucks chairman David Hopkins believes past bids to strengthen their links with the community have been frustrated by having to preserve the Silverlands surface for the first team and is looking forward to seeing players of all ages and abilities using their home and facilities.

The EVO-STIK NPL Premier Division club's officials are presenting their plans to fans at open event on Wednesday 5 April and Hopkins said: “With such a well-positioned facility in the town it is so frustrating to us all at the club that for the vast majority of the time our main asset, the pitch, cannot be used as we have to work hard to protect the surface for the first team, which of course is not always easy in Buxton.

“As the leading football club in the immediate area we should do more to engage with the town, and during my time at the club it has been a constant frustration that we have been unable to offer our facilities to the broader wider community including girls’ and boys’ football right through to veterans and even walking football.

“We were delighted recently to be able to team up with a local disabled football group, but these opportunities are restricted with the limitations of only having a single grass pitch. With the advancement in quality of artificial pitches in recent years we now feel that the time is right to replace the current grass pitch at the Tarmac Silverlands Stadium with an artificial 3G surface."

The Bucks chairman added: “The new 3G surface will also benefit our first team, as there will be much less chance of games having to be postponed due to adverse weather as has recently happened with scheduled matches against Frickley and Ilkeston. However, the big win will be that Buxton will at last have an accessible stadium environment for all ages and abilities wishing to play football.”

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