Punjab United reveal dreams of new home in Wolverhampton
Amateur footballers past and present have united on the pitch to campaign for a new home.
Former and current players at Punjab United Sports and Community Club are on a mission to raise enough cash to finally have their own permanent base.
It comes more than 50 years after founding players from across the community came together to launch the club in Wolverhampton.
Chairman and former player Lakbir Singh Basran MBE said: "We are looking for people to come on board and help build a good club into a great club over the next few years.
"We have never had our own base. We need a base for generations to come for our community.
"I love Punjab United. We have so many great memories as a team. Some of the players from the sixties and seventies are still friends today."
The club was founded in 1966 by Tarsem Kandola and has since had a number of bases, but is now operating from Park Village Education Centre.
Members are in the midst of putting together proposals for funding bids and are yet to finalise how much cash is needed - but initial figures could be in the tens of thousands.
A permanent base to call home would not only bring the community together but allow an array of other services to be offered, Mr Basran said.
He added: "The whole concept is to play sports, engage young people and pick them up off the streets.
"But it's not just about football. If we turn kids towards sports and team work, they will become model citizens for the future.
"When you have you own community centre you can offer more than just sport. We could offer all sorts of services for the wider community including education, health, benefits and financial advice.
"We are a diverse community, we are not just made up of Punjabi people. We want to give back to our community in Wolverhampton."
Punjab United enjoyed sporting success for many years, with at least six teams regularly competing on the pitch.
It now boasts a senior squad in the Wolverhampton Sunday League Division One and a few youth teams.
Committee members hoping to rebuild the club to its former glory and are on the lookout for players up to age 18 and adults to step forward to join the "family".
It comes after they hosted a Vaisakhi Mela, calling on recruits to join their club and inviting organisations from the West Midlands to get involved, including coaches from Wolves.
The event at Cannock Road's Guru Nanak Satsang Gurdwara also marked the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi, which saw people across the globe celebrate the birth of the Khalsa on April 14.
The club is keen to hear from anyone who could help with their project or offer permanent space to develop their home.
Contact Dalbir Mann on 07821536659.
