Milltown (stadium)
{{short description|Home ground of Warrenpoint Town F.C., Northern Ireland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox venue
| name = Milltown
| nickname =
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| location = Warrenpoint, Northern Ireland
| coordinates = {{coord|54|07|04|N|06|15|48|W|display=inline,title}}
| broke_ground =
| built =
| opened = 1997
| renovated = 2013
| expanded =
| closed =
| demolished =
| owner = Warrenpoint Town F.C.
| operator =
| surface = Grass
| scoreboard =
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| capacity = 1,450
| record_attendance =
| dimensions =
}}
Milltown is a football stadium in Warrenpoint, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the home ground of Warrenpoint Town of the NIFL Premier Intermediate League.{{cite web|url=https://footballtripper.com/milltown-stadium-warrenpoint-fc/|title=Milltown Stadium - Football Tripper|date=25 June 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.footballgroundguide.com/leagues/warrenpoint-town.html|title=Warrenpoint Town - Milltown - Football Ground Guide|first=Duncan|last=Adams|website=footballgroundguide.com |date=January 2019 |accessdate=2020-03-01}} The stadium sits in the larger Milltown Sports Complex, in the area of Warrenpoint of the same name. The ground was upgraded in 2013 after Warrenpoint were promoted to the Premiership, to satisfy the rules of that league.
History
In 2008, Warrenpoint Town applied to turn the pitch from natural grass into a 3G pitch, which was granted by the Newry and Mourne District Council.{{cite web|url=https://www.planningni.gov.uk/index/tools/applications/newry_and_mourne_s080109.pdf |title=Applications for Planning Permission presented to Newry and Mourne Council |publisher=Department of the Environment|accessdate=2020-03-01}} In 2013, Warrenpoint Town were promoted to the NIFL Premiership. Owing to previous consecutive promotions, Milltown did not meet the Irish Football Association's criteria for use in the Premiership. As a result, the ground required renovation. Warrenpoint Town originally applied to play their home games at The Showgrounds, Newry. However the stadium owners at Newry refused them permission. Instead they were obliged to groundshare with Dungannon Swifts at Stangmore Park, Dungannon {{convert|40|mi|km|spell=in|0}} away whilst Milltown was redeveloped.{{cite web |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/irish-league/the-park/article29261845.ece |title=Warrenpoint Town's rise to Premiership football is almost too good to be true |work=Belfast Telegraph|date=2013-05-13 |accessdate=2020-03-01}} Newry and Mourne Council granted Milltown £225,500 to assist with the redevelopment.{{cite web|url=http://newrytimes.com/2013/09/03/warrenpoint-town-fc-back |title=Warrenpoint Town FC 'back home for Christmas' |work=Newry Times|accessdate=2020-03-01}}
On 21 December 2013, Milltown was opened for its first NIFL Premiership match between Warrenpoint Town and Glenavon. However the match was forced to be abandoned after one of the floodlights failed.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/av/football/25477813 |title=Warrenpoint-Glenavon game abandoned after floodlight failure at Milltown |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2013-12-21 |accessdate=2020-03-01}} Despite the renovations, aimed to assist the ground to meet UEFA standards, observers note that the facilities are still limited at Milltown.{{cite web|author=Michael Walker |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/brexit-irish-border-how-one-of-biggest-issues-is-playing-out-warrenpoint-town-a8123261.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220514/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/brexit-irish-border-how-one-of-biggest-issues-is-playing-out-warrenpoint-town-a8123261.html |archive-date=14 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Christmas on the Irish border: How one of Brexit's biggest issues is playing out in football |work=The Independent|date=2017-12-21 |accessdate=2020-03-01}} It was used as justification for applying for a UEFA licence.{{cite web |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/irish-league/warrenpoint-town/newry-city-v-warrenpoint-from-a-pub-side-to-top-level-club-point-have-sights-set-on-europe-37750331.html |title=Newry City v Warrenpoint: From a pub side to top level club, Point have sights set on Europe |work=Belfast Telegraph|date=2019-01-26 |accessdate=2020-03-01}} Their 2019 application was refused however.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48055233 |title=Irish Premiership: Uefa licences create three play-off scenarios |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2019-04-25 |accessdate=2020-03-01}}
In 2018, it was announced that Newry, Mourne and Down District Council planned to redevelop Milltown as the location for a new community hub due to plans to purchase a surplus Police Service of Northern Ireland station falling through. However, this proposal was not recommended to the council's committee.{{cite web|last=McKenna |first=Micheal |url=https://www.armaghi.com/news/newry-news/new-site-earmarked-for-1-4m-warrenpoint-community-hub-after-previous-plans-fell-through/78195 |title=New site earmarked for £1.4m Warrenpoint community hub after previous plans fell through |publisher=Armagh I |date=2018-11-19 |accessdate=2020-03-01}} This was due to accessibility and location issues, which led to the council preferring to build the hub at Clonallon Park instead.
Usage
While Milltown is predominantly used by Warrenpoint Town for association football, it has also been used for Gaelic football by Warrenpoint GAA.{{cite web|url=http://www.warrenpointgaa.com/history/facilities/ |title=Facilities |publisher=St. Peter’s GAA Club Warrenpoint |accessdate=2020-03-01}} Milltown is considered by some opposing football managers as being a hard place to play at.{{cite web |url=https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/warrenpoint-town-vs-linfield-david-17712827 |title=David Healy believes Blues can find another gear |publisher=Belfast Live |date=2020-02-08 |accessdate=2020-03-01}}
References
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