INSTITUTE – who host H&W Welders at the Brandywell in the PlayR-Fit Championship on Saturday – will be playing at Derry City’s home “for the next two years”.
That’s the verdict of Stute chairman Bill Anderson, whose club lost the use of their Riverside ground in Drumahoe seven years ago due to flooding.
Institute have made a first planning application for a proposed new ground back on the Waterside.
“It’s been a hard seven years,” revealed Mr Anderson. “There’s a lot of work has gone on in the background. A lot of work has been done while trying to keep the momentum going on the pitch at same time.
“It’s not difficult sharing a ground. We’ve done well at the Brandywell. But we didn’t lose a stadium, we lost a home. We need a home. There’s no opportunity for people to hang around and maybe have a drink, no opportunity to build a community around the club.
“The new ground is an architect’s drawing at the moment. It will be a community stadium. The days are over where you can just build a stadium for football. There will be resources for the community. We want to address education and heath, the challenges that young people have. We have probably the highest young male suicide rate in the UK. A stadium needs to be used throughout the day, not just for football.
“It will be beside Brigade Cricket Club at Beechgrove. The site is owned by the Department for Communities. We will be taking a long term lease.”
Stute just missed out on a place in this season’s top flight, losing out to last gasp goals in the play-off against Ballymena United.
“We were 10 minutes away from top flight football but conceded two goals,” added Mr Anderson. “We have aspirations to play top flight football. We are probably going to be at the Brandywell for the next two seasons.
“We are looking at seating capacity of about 2,500 at the moment (at the proposed new ground). We can expand that.
“Brigade have been brilliant to us, as have Churchill FC. So we have buy-in from the whole community. Our local politicians have been brilliant right across the board.
“We are going for a plastic pitch at the moment. You don’t need a grass pitch to play in the Premiership.”
The Championship returns on Friday night when Lee Feeney’s Bangor host Newington at Clandeboye Road.
Then on Saturday, there’s a tale of two cities at Holm Park as newly promoted Armagh take on relegated Newry, new boys Limavady go to Dundela, Ballinamallard host early pacesetters Ards and Ballyclare face Annagh - second only on goals scored - at Dixon Park.