Latest News About Cullompton Rangers AFC
Cullompton Rangers AFC was formed in 1945 with many temporary homes before in 1974 moving to its now permanent home at Speeds Meadow. Here the Club has a substantial headquarters building, three pitches two of which are equipped with floodlighting and an increasing social and playing membership.
The Club runs three senior men’s sides playing on Saturday’s and a huge juniors section that encompasses sides from under 7’s right up through the various age groups to under 14’s. The Club also has a ladies senior side which plays in the South West Combination League League on Sundays as does a local Pub side playing in the Exeter Sunday League using Speeds Meadow as its base.
There is a busy and friendly Clubhouse on the ground with a growing social membership a feature of which is a strong and enthusiastic Supporters section which organises its own fund raising events to augment the running costs of the Club.
Club facilities are used throughout the week with training for senior men’s on Tuesday, juniors on Wednesday’s and ladies on Thursday’s. It is common place for well over 150 youngsters, boys and girls, to be in attendance at the organised coaching sessions and then for the majority of them to play junior short football on Saturdays and Sundays.
In 2003 the Club achieved FA Charter Status marking the fact that the Club had been assessed and proven to be providing football for youngsters in a safe and friendly environment. In addition in early 2006 the Club was awarded the FA Charter Mark Standard for its seniors section making it one of only a handful of Clubs to carry both Junior and Senior Standard awards at the same time.
The first team play in the South West Peninsula League, Premier Division which covers both Devon and Cornwall. The second and third teams play in the Devon and Exeter League at Premier and Intermediate levels respectively.
The situation which faces the Club is that the demand for playing football in the Town far outweighs the facilities to support it compounded by the modern day need for mixed sex facilities both for players and match officials. Additionally the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act also come to bear. Some relief has been achieved by the acquisition of temporary Portakabins for changing at times of peak usage.
Whilst the ideal solution would be to build a new free standing changing and shower block behind the clubhouse discussions with national and local Football Association representatives has shown that such a proposal would not gain FA funding support.
The alternative solution and the one which the Club now proposes is to enlarge and modernise the existing changing facilities so as meet all the requirements of mixed sex football, of mixed sex officials, of toilet provision for supporters and the DDA.
Full planning consent for this proposal has been granted by Mid Devon District Council and the Club hopes to have these new facilities in place for the 2008/09 season.
More information about the Club can be found on its award winning website www.cullomptonrangersfc.quickonthenet.com
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