An enforced change in venue for some of Barry's RFC home fixtures last season had a "serious impact" on the club's finances.
Five of the club's ten Admiral League home games had to be moved from the waterlogged Reservoir Field to the artifical pitch at Ysgol Bro Morgannwg during the 2023-24 season.
The club's AGM was told that as a result, the club's gross profit on the year up to May 31st 2024 fell by almost £25,000.
Remedial work has since been carried out at the ground by Dwr Cymru, and it is hoped the waterlogging problem of the main pitch has now been resolved.
In the accounts, which will be published on the club’s new website - due to go live next month - gross profits on “merchandise, tickets and social purchases” dropped from £97,094 in 2022-23 to £72,111 in 2023-24, with bar takings inevitably being reduced on those five match days.
Chairman Mike Prosser, in his report, said the club is looking at ways of improving finances, and is investigating the possibility of staging, among other events, weekend rugby festivals and music festivals as well as aiming to boost both sponsorship and membership.
Alongside this, he said, the club is concentrating “on an internal improvement scheme to increase capacity inside the main bar and create a new front facing façade to the club with a new front entrance porch and new terrace.”
A planning application is expected to be submitted in February - but further plans to extend out into the beer garden and create a first floor at the clubhouse have been shelved for the time being.
The club is due to have a site meeting with Vale of Glamorgan Council officials in early January, “with a view to finalising the terms of either a community asset transfer or a 99-year lease.”
"We had provisionally agreed 99-year lease terms on the clubhouse, first team pitch and hard stand multi purpose car park and training ground.”, said Prosser.
The council is also looking at the possibility of transferring all four pitches at the Reservoir Field to the club, which would then be responsible for maintenance.
On the playing side Prosser added: “We have been building for the past two seasons, and there has been a valuable input of new youth players."
"The mini and junior structure is in place, and our youth are our future,” before concluding the meeting with thanks to the committee and the club’s coaching staff.
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