Bray Wanderers have called on the Wicklow County Council to use the Easter Rising in 1916 as inspiration for a development of the Carlisle Grounds and build a new facility for the club.
In a 1,200 word update, Bray defended yesterday’s much-maligned release and said St George’s Park in England should serve as an example of what could be achieved.
The club say that they will continue their ambition of rezoning the Carlisle Grounds and creating a new development.
Ironically, Bray’s current home was used in the shooting of the film Michael Collins.
It read: "In 1916 some brave Irish men and women stood up for the cause of Irish freedom as they were tired of the oppression being suffered by the Irish people at the hands of the British army.
"They stood up for what they believed in and, in doing so, they were initially ridiculed, taunted and laughed at by the very people for whom they were giving their lives to protect.
"Yesterday we issued a statement that has drawn publicity from the Irish, United Kingdom, European, American and Asian media. No football club in Ireland has ever had so much publicity.
"We have been laughed at for working tirelessly and giving hard earned money towards a cause that we believe to be far greater than just our club Bray Wanderers. Our project is about Wicklow sport and soccer."
The statement continued with reference to Wicklow County Council and North Korea and criticised councillors and TDs in the county.
"Some Council members have immediately shot down our proposals and would rather leave Wicklow sport in the same way they have left Arklow with no sewage treatment plant.
"In summer the smell and sight from the river is disgusting. That is what Council want Wicklow football to resemble -the excrement and disgusting state of the river in Arklow.
"That is an environment which the people of Arklow have campaigned for decades to see solved.
"We do not have accept it anymore. We will develop this facility and put in place a long-term plan to deal with the long-term financial future for the development of the club, collective Wicklow teams and maybe wider afield in Ireland.
"Imagine if people just supported what we are doing, helped get this academy built as a centre of excellence modelled on St George's, imagine how good they will feel, imagine rather than having a negative outlook, they had a positive outlook.
"Imagine if they weighed in with us, get this goal achieved, imagine how proud and good you would feel.
"Imagine being a politician in Wicklow and saying, ‘yes we did that, we created something great, something unique’."
Bray host Finn Harps tonight in the SSE Airtricity Premier Division.
