Derry City Football Club chairman Phil O’Doherty has said that he would support a campaign to rename the club’s stadium in honour of late captain Ryan McBride.
McBride resided in the shadow of Brandywell Stadium before his untimely death in March of last year when he was found dead in his bedroom having led the Candy Stripes to victory against Drogheda United just 24 hours earlier.
His death had a massive impact on the club and the Derry community and O’Doherty has said that he would fully support a proposal to change the name of the Brandywell, which has been the name of Derry’s stadium since the club was founded in 1928.
O’ Doherty revealed that he is “definitely supporting” the campaign group’s proposal.
“I have met the McBride family, they have met with the board of directors and I have had a one to one conversation with Ryan’s father Lexie McBride,” he told the BBC.
The player’s aunt, Councillor Patricia Logue, is putting forward a motion to rename the venue at Derry City and Strabane District Council.
“I’m very proud of Ryan,” Ms Logue told BBC Radio Foyle. “I hope all the other councillors will support this motion.
“He was a great young man. He was a very unassuming man who was great with all of the young people in the area. He is a great role model.
“The Ryan McBride Foundation put the idea to us and the family would be delighted if the motion got passed.”
The Brandywell is currently undergoing redevelopment work which includes a new 1,100 seater stand, new pitch and a greyhound track.
A second phase, dependent on the securing of necessary funding, could further increase the ground’s capacity to 5,000.
The stadium will not be completed until March 2 with Derry set to kick off their season with a visit to Waterford on Friday followed by successive trips to Sligo and then Bohemians.
The Candystripes will play their first game at the redeveloped Brandywell on March 2 against Dundalk.
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