Atherstone Sports Club to build new 3G pitch with £1.6m investment
Funding will support year-round football and rugby and improve facilities for local community use
Atherstone Sports Club is set to develop a new 3G pitch and improve its facilities following a £1.6 million investment in local sports provision.
The funding includes £1.3 million from the Premier League, The FA and the Government’s Football Foundation, along with £327,000 from North Warwickshire Borough Council.
The investment will support the construction of a 3G pitch at the club’s Ratcliffe Road site, alongside upgrades to the changing rooms.
While primarily designed for football, the pitch will also be suitable for a range of rugby activities, including senior training, junior matches, touch rugby and walking rugby.
Sarah Carmody, Secretary of the Atherstone Sports Club said: “This has been a team effort with members from all sections of Atherstone Sports Club, including cricket, hockey, junior football and rugby, pooling their skills and knowledge to bring this long-term vision to fruition.
"We are grateful for the support provided by North Warwickshire Borough Council, Birmingham County FA and Football Foundation. This has been a long journey, and we cannot wait to see all the hard work come to fruition.”
3G pitches provide a consistent playing surface that can be used throughout the year and in most weather conditions.
This allows sports fixtures and training sessions to continue during winter months, reducing cancellations and increasing regular participation.
A full-size 3G pitch can support around 1,200 users each week and is designed to be accessible to a wide range of people.
Steve Matthews, Chair of Atherstone Rangers Junior Football Club said: “Our club was founded in 1974 and since then we have continued to thrive and grow.
"Some of our coaches and Committee members started their football journey as young players at the Club. We have continually worked to improve access to pitches and to improve quality to reduce the number of games lost due to issues with the grass pitches.
"The funding from Football Foundation and the Borough for the AGP pitch will take our club to another level helping us to enable more young people to take part in football, enhancing their physical and mental health.”
Councillor Margaret Bell, Chair of the Community and Environment Board, said: “This is fantastic news for the Club and the Borough. These brand-new facilities will provide an asset for the Borough for decades to come.
"The improvement to the changing facilities will provide much needed updated facilities meeting the needs of all ages and genders accessing sport at Atherstone Sports Club.
"It will be great to see new people attracted to the site to get active throughout the year. The Council is please to contribute funding to match that being made available from the Football Foundation to make this project possible”