THE newly redeveloped Winton Park has now been officially opened.
A special event was held on Sunday, November 17, to mark the occasion - with hundreds turning out to celebrate.
The renovations, funded thanks to partners the SFA and North Ayrshire Council, have seen the dawn of a new era for the Anderson Terrace ground which was celebrated as the venue played host to the official opening event.
Winton Park has been handed over to the new leaseholders - Ardrossan Community Sports Hub - and a number of teams and clubs will pay to use the pitch, with any profits put back into the community via the charity.
The upgrade has brought some wholesale changes, with the most obvious being the replacement of the old grass park with a new synthetic pitch.
Not only will this allow for more matches to be played over the winter months, training can now take place on the park on a more regular basis.
Also amongst the major developments are the addition of new floodlights, and delivery of new modular changing units.
The facility is now ready to serve the local community, with all teams from across the area free to use the surface if available.
As local dignitaries descended on Winton Park, the new pitch held matches open to the public for the first time on Sunday - with all piped into the event by the Largs Boys' Brigade.
Brief speeches were made by North Ayrshire Council's deputy provost John Sweeney, Ardrossan Winton Rovers chairman Pat Breen and Angus Middleton to officially open the park before games got under way.
Winton girls under-12 had the honour of playing the inaugural match on the day, taking on Dean Thistle.
The girls under-14 side then played against Stewarton, and their under-16s against Queen of the South.
Action was rounded off by the ladies team who faced off against Benburb in a friendly match - and in fitting fashion won the match 6-0.
A spokesperson said: "It was an historic day at Winton Park today as the newly revamped grounds were officially opened!
"It was a fantastic game of football, with our ladies finishing 6-0 winners. A big thank you to Benburb for making the trip and being part of our special day.
"A huge thank you also goes to everyone behind the scenes who dedicated so much time and effort to make the day run smoothly. Your hard work truly paid off!"
The club's men's first team are now set to play their first competitive fixture on the park on Tuesday, November 19, as they face Bo'ness United in the Scottish Junior Cup. Kick off is at 7.45pm.
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