Cae-y-Castell
{{Short description|Football stadium in Flintshire, Wales}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{notability|Companies|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox venue
| name = Cae-y-Castell
| nickname =
| image = Cae-Y-Castell.jpg
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| caption = Main Stand in 2018
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| built =
| opened = 1993
| renovated =
| expanded =
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| surface = Artificial Turf
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| former_names =
| tenants = Flint Town United F.C.
Flint Mountain F.C. (2022 - )
Connah's Quay Nomads FC (2023 - )
| capacity = 3,000 (250 Seated)
| record_attendance =
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}}
Cae-y-Castell (currently known as the Essity Stadium for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Flint, Flintshire, Wales. Located on the banks of the Dee Estuary close to Flint Castle, it is the home ground of Flint Town United and is also used by Flint Mountain and Flint Rugby Club.{{Cite web|title=Flint RFC|url=https://flint.rfc.wales/find-us|access-date=2021-07-26|website=Flint RFC|language=en-GB}}
History
The stadium was opened in 1993 after Flint moved from their previous Holywell Road ground.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/flinttownunited/a/history-of-flint-town-utd-fc-34737.html|title=History of Flint Town Utd FC|website=www.pitchero.com}}
In 2006–07, Connah's Quay Nomads were tenants at the ground.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/local-news/home-help-2898180|title=Home help|first=North Wales|last=Live|date=February 3, 2006|website=North Wales Live}}
File:Cae-y-Castell small stands.jpg
In 2019, the stadium was renamed The Essity Stadium as part of a deal with the club's main sponsors.{{Cite web|url=http://www.deeside.com/flint-towns-cae-y-castell-renamed-essity-stadium-as-part-of-new-sponsorship-deal/|title=Flint Town's Cae-y-Castell renamed Essity Stadium as part of new Sponsorship deal|website=Deeside.com}}
In 2022, the club announced that an artificial pitch would be installed at the stadium.{{cite web | url=https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/sport/20068789.flint-town-united-fork-500-000-new-state-of-the-art-pitch/ | title=Flint Town United to have new 3G pitch | date=14 April 2022 }} Later that year, Halkyn & Flint Mountain F.C. (now Flint Mountain F.C.) announced they had agreed to use the ground.{{cite web |last1=Jones |first1=Dave |title=Halkyn and Flint Mountain Football Club reveal a change of home ground |date=13 May 2022 |url=https://nwsport.co.uk/2022/05/13/halkyn-and-flint-mountain-football-club-reveal-a-change-of-home-ground/ |publisher=Grassroots North Wales |access-date=13 May 2022}} The new pitch was installed in September 2022.{{cite web | url=https://www.dailypost.co.uk/sport/biggest-game-history-first-match-25008384 | title=Club set for 'biggest game' in their history on new 3G pitch | date=13 September 2022 }}
In 2023, Connah's Quay Nomads announced they would be moving to Cae-y-Castell for the 2023-24 season.{{cite web | url=https://www.the-nomads.co.uk/news/article.php?id=1220 | title=Nomads by name, Nomads by nature }}
Proposed renovation
In 2019, Flint Town United and Connah's Quay Nomads began exploring a groundshare agreement which would see the stadium upgraded to UEFA Category 2, allowing it to host European qualifiers for both clubs as well as youth international fixtures.{{Cite web|url=https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/sport/17709910.connahs-quay-nomads-flint-top-level-talks/|title=Connah's Quay Nomads and Flint in top-level talks|website=The Leader|date=16 June 2019 }}
References
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