Former Leeds football club Farsley Celtic relaunched as FC Farsley after David Stockdale takeover
A former Leeds football club that was dogged with disruption and disputes has been officially given a fresh new start.
After taking over the ownership at Farsley Celtic in the summer from its previous ownership, former Premier League goalkeeper David Stockdale and his family have now officially relaunched the club as Farsley FC.
New owner Stockdale is no stranger to Farsley – the former Premier League goalkeeper lives in West Leeds and has been manager of the men’s first team since February.
David is joined by his wife Katie, who will take the role of chair of the football club.
In a joint statement, the Stockdales said: “We are delighted – at last – to formally take the reins at Farsley. The club and its facilities have real potential and we are honoured to be the owners of a club that has been dear to the hearts of people for many generations.
“However, it’s with a heavy heart that Farsley Celtic will have to be liquidated so we can give give football in Farsley the best chance of future success.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank all volunteers, fans and staff who helped to keep Farsley Celtic going for as long as it has. We hope you will all join us in going forward with FC Farsley.”
Looking to the future, the Stockdales added: “We want FC Farsley to be the beating heart of community sports and activity in Farsley,
“As well as football, we hope to see all kinds of different sports being played here by people of all ages and abilities. We will be an inclusive sports hub, alongside providing wider activities for the whole community.
“We’d love to hear people’s suggestions about what sports and community activities they would like to see here.”
FC Farsley has been operating women’s and deaf football teams since the start of this season. It also operates a thriving development section, which sees more than 300 youngsters playing for the club each week.
The new start will be welcome news to fans of the club, who had to endure seeing the men’s first team withdraw from the footballing pyramid over a series of contentions that included players not being paid wages, repeated delays to the relaying of the football pitch and the agony of having to travel to Buxton in Derbyshire to watch the team play their home games.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, Stockdale said that there are plans to take part in a competitive league from the 2026/27 and that he intends to stay on as manager.
He said: “There's a lot of toing and froing and little things that can happen. The good thing is we're in full communication with different leagues we could be put in, with the FA, and more importantly making sure everyone knows where we stand so we're not hiding.
“We are a new club but obviously we have mitigation being a phoenix club. I have no indication from anybody, it's about how the FA feel. We've been very open in our conversations with all leagues that we could be involved in. They're happy we've had those conversations.”
He also urged supporters to get behind the club and to come down to the football ground, which has returned to its former name as Throstle Nest, to see the changes for themselves.
He said: “We want it to be somewhere everybody's proud of. We want it to be an open place everyone can come. I'm not going to get away from how hard it has been so far, but I also know the next six to eight months could be even harder. You've got to balance it between what they want and what you can give, and find a happy medium.”
Refurbishment and improvements have been carried out in the clubhouse and the sports hall, along with new gates installed at the entrance to the ground.
Future plans also include installing a new 3G pitch, while the Sports Club will be a facilities provider and run the whole site.
FC Farsley will be making further announcements in the coming days, including news of a new club sponsorship deal.