Tom Piatak: "The Sheepmount was absolutely the right choice"
26 July 2025
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As we collectively bake in the summer heat you can pretty much guarantee that, despite that fact, the first-team coaching staff will be casting a thought forward to the winter months and the annual battle to find suitable training facilities.
With that in mind the club completed the first phase of development work at the Sheepmount recently, with the under-18 team giving it a first runout against Middlesbrough early in July.
Some concern was raised when a short section of the riverbank crumbled during the particularly wet June spell, but subsequent inspections have given it the thumbs up.
“We took that into consideration when we made that choice,” chairman Tom Piatak said. “To us the overriding factor was that the training centre needs to be community centric, and it needs to be where it's accessible to all within in Carlisle.
“That was the number one priority. The erosion, we're working with the City Council on things of that nature. You've seen that with some of the repairs they've done there.
“I'm very comfortable it’s the best and the optimal site for the training centre. It became even more evident to me when I saw the Middlesbrough match and the U18s playing there, with all the cars parked.
“To see that activity, that is to me the vision of a community centric football club, so I believe that's the right location. I believe the elevation on that upper plateau is sufficient for us.
“We live in Florida, hurricanes are our way of life here, and you can't run from water. You can't let it stifle your plans for the future.
“We looked at multiple sites, but a site 20 miles outside of Carlisle to me is not conducive to what a community centric football club should and can be.
“So yes, there are risks, but we’re comfortable with the risks and I believe it is by far and away the right choice. We just have to construct it properly and protect it properly.”
The deal will be well and truly sealed, of course, once the long-term lease has been signed.
“I can't put a timeline on it, the council and our advisors are working,” he explained. “I would submit to you by the fact that we've invested capital already, and have three pitches up and running, that I'm optimistic that we're going to get this done, or I would have never done that.
“But if I put a timeline on it when it's something that's outside of my control, I just don't want to do that. I'm very comfortable that it will get done.
“I’m apprised of what's going on with the council and our advisors and all the meetings that are going on. They've been very, very optimistic and moving forward, I think everybody sees the benefit.
“I think as council sees more and more community centric events down there being held on those pitches and doing different things I think it'll become even more where it's like, you know, this is by far and away the right thing to do.
“We're not looking for an exclusive facility where this is just Carlisle United, nobody else gets to touch it. We're looking for a shared use facility.
“That's again community centric and so I'm confident that will happen, and every indication I have right now, with the council and advisors, is that it’s moving in that direction.
“I just can't put a firm time. I have an idea as to what I think might happen, but I don't want to put it out there in the public right now because as soon as that day passes and it's not done, I'll be flooded with ‘what happened?’ But I'm comfortable that we're going to get it done.”
An example used by a lot of lower leagues as a standard to aim for is the Poolfoot Farm training complex used by Fleetwood.
“There was one argument that said no, this needs to be exclusive use, this needs to be Carlisle United and exclusive to us, and things of that nature,” he commented. “It was advised that we had to have fences up and everything, nobody can see the first team training.
“to be honest with you, I didn't agree with that approach. I'm like, this is a community centric club therefore we need we need to make it accessible and everything.
“I liked what I saw down at Fleetwood, and I've seen some other training facilities as well, but I thought they had a real good balance there with what they did.
“My vision hasn't changed - that it should be a shared facility, it should be a shining light for Carlisle, it should stand out, people should see it, because you want to be there when there's an activity going on, or at least have access to it, and I think that's good for the club.
“I think it's good for the community, I think it's good for Carlisle and Cumbria as a region, so I'm committed to that shared use facility where it’s the first team and there will be some prioroties, where for example this pitch may be set aside for certain things and not to be used where the other pitches can be used for certain things.
“But I think there's a real good balance to strike there, and I think we can do it, and I think it's good for everybody.”
