Former Sheffield Wednesday boss Chris Turner gets behind new Wakefield football club

FORMER Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper and manager Chris Turner is backing a new project to give Wakefield its own football club.
Chris TurnerChris Turner
Chris Turner

Turner has joined a number of local businessmen in the new venture which will see Wakefield AFC kick off its first season in the Central Midlands League in 2019-20 and play its games at nearby Pontefract Collieries ground. The intention is to eventually make it to professional status and play its games at the revamped Belle Vue Stadium, which currently houses Super League’s Wakefield Trinity.

One of the businessmen behind the project, Mike Hegarty, said Wakefield – the only city without its own football club – said he hoped to help give the city a team its residents could be proud of.

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“This is the culmination of a nine-year dream. Wakefield is the UK’s largest city without its own football team something that football fans and proud citizens have complained of for decades.

“After years of negotiations and a hunt for a suitable management team and guarantors we are able to launch Wakefield AFC with a clear plan to develop professional football in the city.”

Turner, who also played for Sunderland and Manchester United, as well as being a manager at Hartlepool and Stockport, added: “Launching a new football team is a major undertaking which has not been done lightly by any of the team. “The foundations are in place, we have a name, venue for fixtures and are assembling a team to kick off the new 2019-20 season.”