Wakefield AFC

Our Vision

📷

Our drive now is to begin to fully engage with the local community throughout the Wakefield District directly and indirectly using various charities. The underlying tenet being the use of football and the club for good causes and childrens’ development and well being. Alongside our plans to incorporate our activities of Wakefield AFC to that of the community, we do have a plan for the rise of the club within the football pyramid over the next 12-15 years. Our plan: 2024 – Bet Victor Northern PL D1 2026 – Bet Victor Northern PL PD 2028 – National League North 2030 – National League 2033 – League 2

Our Academy

📷

We launched our very own Acadmey at the end of 2019, which saw us attract players from different age groups and hold training sessions from Under 7’s through to Under 16’s. The Academy has been created to bring more local players through the system in the hope that they progress to become first team players for Wakefield AFC or even higher. As of May 2020, we welcomed experience development coach, Shane Pallett, to the club. Shane has over 10 years’ experience with Doncaster Rovers and will bring a whole new structure to our Academy. On the back of this, we will also introduce our new Youth Academy teams which will see a Under 17’s, Under 18’s, and Under 19’s team integrated into the club. More information on the Academy can be found here: ACADEMY If you have any questions, or wish to join our Academy programme, please email the club on [email protected]

Sponsorship

We are on the lookout for businesses who would like to advertise with us through various advertising platforms next season and beyond. We have plenty of advertising opportunities available such as front of shirt principal partner, training kit sponsorship, official club partner, player sponsorship and much more. When you become a partner of Wakefield AFC, you’re not just getting exposure for your business… ▪️ You’re helping to develop our club off the field. ▪️ You’re supporting our educational pathway for our young players. ▪️ You’re contributing to the development of the next generation of local footballers. ▪️ You’re helping to secure playing and training venues. ▪️ You’re helping the club get out in to the Wakefield community. For more information on sponsoring Wakefield AFC, please email the club on [email protected]

Way Forward

Our proposal is to work towards fully harnessing our new club to the community in partnership, by exploring a multitude of ways of including the population of the whole of the Wakefield District into a thriving community professional football club. We have already received confirmation that Wakefield AFC will be playing out of the £12 million stadium in Wakefield by 2021 at the latest, subject to planning agreements being completed by December 2019. We began the football journey for a club that has the aspiration and capacity to become a Football League club in 12-15 years. Our model is based on a club where local business and community involvement works in tandem alongside hinging on a multi faceted use modern stadium. Whilst we begin at a humble level in the Football Pyramid we are confident of quickly rising through the Leagues in order that the club will be in a strong position to provide benefit to Wakefield and the new Community Stadium when the proposed structure is completed.

Summary

Mike Hegarty (Wakefield AFC Owner):

“In summary we believe that we are in an extremely strong position to continue to take forward the development of a new football club in Wakefield now that we have been given the approval by the local Wakefield Council to play future games for Wakefield AFC in the new community stadium. It will be a true community club and all our planning from the date of approval by the Council will drive that model. We await eagerly the opportunity to engage fully with all our planned partners with that remit of developing a strong and sustainable professional football club in tandem with Wakefield Trinity and other partner sporting organisations in the area.

We shall seek the support of all partners and shareholders throughout, in all that we do, but with the firm aim of becoming a fully commercial community club that can achieve its aims of becoming an English League Football Club within 12-15 years.“