SHEFFIELD’S NEWEST 3G PITCH SET TO OPEN TO PUBLIC
A new artificial grass pitch (AGP) at Wisewood Sports Centre in Sheffield is set to officially open. The third generation AGP was part-funded by the Football Foundation and also supported by funding from Sheffield City Council.
A number of local junior football clubs, including Sheffield Sixes FC and Wisewood JFC, will use the pitch to train and play on. The new facility will also provide opportunities for the community to be involved in regular exercise through the provision of leagues, casual play, holiday and coaching programmes.
The opening will take place on Saturday 8 June at 12.30pm at Wisewood Sports Centre (former site of Wisewood School) Laird Road, Sheffield, S6 4BS.
The Lord Mayor elect will officially open the new sports pitch and local junior teams will take part in some matches on the pitch on the day. All the community are invited to attend and find out more about the new facility and further proposed plans for the site.
Local resident, presenter of BBC’s Football Focus and Football Foundation Ambassador, Dan Walker, kicked off the start of works at Wisewood Sports Centre in December last year.
Wisewood Sports Centre and the partner clubs worked with the Sheffield and Hallamshire FA to secure a £150,000 grant from the Football Foundation. Funded by the Premier League, The FA, and the Government (via Sport England), the Football Foundation is the country’s largest sports charity. Since it was launched in 2000, the Foundation has awarded around 8,000 grants worth more than £420m towards improving grassroots sport, which it has used to attract additional partnership funding of over £520m.
Maggie Birt, Wisewood Sports Centre Manager, said: “The community were disappointed about the loss of their school nearly two years ago, but this great opportunity to provide a much needed and high quality football facility has given a marvellous boost to the regeneration of the site and to the community.
“Through the strong partnership and foresight of the Football Foundation and Sheffield City Council, a wider strategic plan will provide a much needed training and playing facility on the site and in the local area. This has allowed our partner clubs to plan and grow the game of football which offers more opportunities to everyone.
“I know this facility will be a great success and I am looking forward to developing football on this site and continuing to work with our partners in the future.”
Paul Thorogood, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “This project in Sheffield is a wonderful example of what the Football Foundation is doing right across the country. Foundation investment is helping to transform the national inventory of facilities that supports the grassroots game in this country, and thanks must go to our funding partners, the Premier League, The FA, and the Government (via Sport England) for their crucial and generous financial support, without which none of this would be possible.”