Institute FC make heartfelt plea over new home ahead of ‘bittersweet’ moment

Institute once again ask for help to support their ‘tireless efforts’ in securing a new home

Institute FC have once again made an impassioned plea over a new home for the club ahead of a “bittersweet” moment.

Eight years after they were forced out of their Riverside Stadium after it was devastated by floods and subsequently infested with Japanese knotweed the Drumahoe club have announced its “immediate” deconstruction.

After one season at Churchill United’s Wilton Park ‘Stute moved to the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium where they have been based since 2018.

However their aim has always been for the construction of a new stadium in the Waterside area of the city.

A planning application was submitted for a “Community Sports and Wellbeing Hub” including a new stadium at Clooney Park West.

The club has applied for permission to build a stadium with a 3G pitch and an “initial” spectator capacity of 2,097.

Now with their old home at the Riverside Stadium set to be razed to the ground ‘Stute have made a heartfelt plea for help to bolster its “tireless efforts” to ensure the delivery of the proposed new stadium and community hub.

“Institute Football Club have recently reached agreement with Londonderry YMCA Ltd to commence the deconstruction of the Riverside Stadium,” the club statement read.

“A contractor has been appointed, and the work will commence immediately. This is obviously a bittersweet moment for all involved with our club.

“The devastating floods of August 2017 effectively ended a very successful era for us in Drumahoe.

“Promotion to the topflight of Northern Irish football, combined with our inability to secure the Club’s long-term future at the Riverside Stadium, meant a temporary relocation while we were forced to look elsewhere for a new home.

“This ‘temporary relocation’ has now lasted eight years and still our resilient club is without a home.

“As we witness the deconstruction process in the coming weeks, we invite our loyal supporters, politicians, local businesses, and the wider community to help bolster our clubs tireless efforts to ensure the delivery of our proposed new stadium and community hub at Clooney Park West.”