Keep Shielfield Park Shining Bright!

Will you help us ensure a brighter – and more ecologically friendly – future for Shielfield Park?

Since the early 1970s the grand old stadium has been illuminated, and the local skyline dominated, by its eight soaring floodlight towers. Currently the football pitch, and speedway track, is lit by over 100 energy-guzzling halogen bulbs and the fundraising appeal by Shielfield’s tenants, Berwick Bandits and Berwick Rangers, in conjunction with Berwick Rangers Community Academy, hopes to raise £30,000 to cover the cost of replacing them with LED lights.

Studies show LED floodlighting uses up to 85% less energy than halogen and also lasts over ten times longer. That means significant savings on energy bills at a time when electricity prices are soaring and a decreased electrical draw on the aging stadium wiring, whose replacement would involve costly and disruptive work involving digging up the pitch and speedway track.

Berwick Rangers Community Academy and Berwick Rangers FC chairman, Kevin Dixon, said: “Both the Rangers and Bandits continue to keep our town in the sporting spotlight and Shielfield Park is an iconic venue, the envy of most clubs at our respective levels. Maintaining this amazing facility comes at a cost and we are always looking for ways to make long-term savings which can then free up money for maintenance and future community projects. Updating the floodlights is one way to make that happen.”

Berwick Speedway owner Jamie Courtney added: “This is a vital upgrade which benefits both clubs and their supporters in the long run. I think we all recognize the problems of keeping our clubs competitive, whether that’s on the track or the football pitch, against big city clubs with wealthy backers and sponsors. Bandits and Rangers fans have always been generous in backing their clubs over the years and I hope they will get behind this joint fundraising initiative.”