Chasing an elusive triple crown, Western Stars Sports Club (Dandy Town) may be nearing the end of its journey as a vagabond club.
Photo courtesy of the RG
The sports organisation is not only upgrading its physical plant but also modernising its administrative body.
Club CEO Devarr Boyles revealed WSSC is taking a multi-pronged approach to improve the St John’s Road institution’s look and operation.
Closed since 2019 due to an unsafe playing surface, Boyles expects the field to be available for matches later this year.
While not providing specific details, Boyles discussed a revamped layout that would feature expanded changing rooms, a new entrance, improved parking, and upgraded lighting for night matches.
Prospects for a new clubhouse remain, with the goal of providing a space to promote health and wellness among community members.
“We should be on the field in September or October of this year,” said Boyles. “We’re just hoping that that happens.
“We’re aiming to catch two growing cycles, which was the whole reason that the field got resurfaced by the end of August, after we had missed the summer growing cycle.
“Grass doesn’t grow well this time of the year. So half of the field has been seeded thus far.
“Come February, when the weather warms, they will put herbicide on the other half as well as put down new grass seed.
“Then it’s just a matter of getting it to knit over the far side about by Gorham’s where we’re going to have new changing facilities as part of a pavilion.”
Boyles noted that the organisation, with its 30 teams, had clearly outgrown the existing structure, situated on the ground’s north-west corner.
“Based on the substructure of the field, we’ll only be able to do two kitted-out changing rooms, but we’re going to have two other basic changing rooms because we’ve outgrown that size club.
“Many people don’t realise that we don’t operate from just one field.
“We operate from West Pembroke, Northlands, Berkeley, and right now we’re also at White Hill Field, so we’re all over the place.
“The funds are not there for a new build as far as a clubhouse is concerned, although some funds are available to do the foundation work and to put up some walls for the players’pavilion.
“Because we can play football without a clubhouse, but we can’t play football without somewhere to change, so that’s the priority.”
Boyles and his executive team have discarded aspects of the working men’s club model, reducing their reliance on alcohol sales for revenue and encouraging increased community and corporate involvement.
The new model employs a corporate hierarchy, led by a CEO, who is supported by a Chief Operating Officer, a Chief Financial Officer, and technical officers. In addition, several board groups supervise the organisation’s various subsidiary components.
“A lot of clubs have a bar model,” explained Boyles. “Like, they say, it’s athletes, but then they have a bar.
“We’re not going to have that. Instead, we’re going to take the total opposite route.
“We’re going to have a wellness model and do things that engage people differently.
“Because we’re a sports club, it is just natural that the two are linked.”
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