Major investment of over £500,000 confirmed for popular Sheffield sports facility
The investment comes as part of an ongoing project to transform the quality of grassroots facilities in England
Upgraded 3G football pitches are part of a £500,000 investment in a popular Sheffield sports centre.
The Concord Sports Centre, on Shiregreen Lane, will benefit from the major investment this summer.
The centre, run by award-winning leisure operator Everyone Active in partnership with Sheffield City Council, will offer enhanced state-of-the-art facilities for local clubs and communities, boosting opportunities for grassroots football across Sheffield.
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Lorenzo Clark, Everyone Active partnership manager, said: “We’re thrilled to announce this fantastic investment at Concord Sports Centre for the future of community sport. Securing this funding will allow us to deliver improvements that Sheffield’s football community deserves and offer a state-of-the-art facility for everyone to enjoy.
“The upgrades will provide a first-class environment for football players of all ages and abilities, and we look forward to updating our members and the local community during every step of the way.”
The decision to upgrade the facilities acts as a key boost heading into the winter months, which have in the past been dominated by fixture postponements due to adverse weather conditions and waterlogged pitches.
Cllr Brian Holmshaw, chair of the Communities, Parks and Leisure Policy Committee at Sheffield City Council, said:“I’m delighted to see Everyone Active has secured the funding needed to deliver the improvements needed to the 3G football pitch at Concord Sports Centre.
“This, along with the multi-million pound rebuild of the centre we have already announced, will give the local and wider footballing communities the first-class facilities the area needs.
“From when I used to play there many years ago, I’ve known that Concord Park’s playing fields are popular with grassroots football teams. The upgraded 3G pitch will be the chance for the sport to be played year-round, whatever the weather.”
Thanks to funding from the Premier League, The FA and the Government’s Football Foundation – alongside match funding provided by Sheffield City Council through its Leisure Investment Programme – significant improvements will be made to the existing facilities, to help better serve the needs of players, clubs, coaches and spectators for years to come.
The project will include a fully refurbished 3G pitch, upgraded floodlighting, enhanced spectator viewing areas, new secure perimeter fencing and an increase from three to four 5v5 pitches designed for five-a-side football.
Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “The Football Foundation is working closely with our partners – the Premier League, The FA and Government – to transform the quality of grassroots facilities in England by delivering projects like this across the country.
“Good quality playing facilities have a transformative impact on physical and mental health and play an important role in bringing people together and strengthening local communities.
“This grant award to Concord Sports Centre towards developing improvements to its 3G pitch is fantastic news for the local community and will help give more people access to a great place to play.”
Work is scheduled to begin in mid-August and is expected to take around eight weeks to complete, with the upgraded pitch anticipated to reopen in October. Once completed, the facility will also be FA affiliated for 11v11, 9v9, 7v7 and 5v5 football, enabling more clubs, teams and residents to participate in the game.
During the construction period, teams that use the facility will be required to arrange alternative venues for early-season fixtures while works take place.
Further details regarding bookings and reopening arrangements will be announced over the coming weeks.