Sheffield athletics coach worries about next generation as Woodbourn Road saga drags on
The track on Woodbourn Road has been out of use since April, leaving Sheffield’s next generation of athletes with a real lack of facilities to train and compete in the sport
City leaders have been urged to take action over the Woodbourn Road athletics stadium if they want to avoid losing the next generation of local athletes.
The track in Attercliffe was closed by Sheffield Hallam University, which operates the site, on April 6, leaving many athletes having to cancel their weekly meet-ups or travel outside of the city to areas like Rotherham or Mansfield to continue training at a high level.
The university closed the track because they deemed it to be unsuitable for competitive athletics due to the track’s problems with shock absorption - which is essentially how much force travels back into an athlete's body during high-impact activities like running, jumping and falling.
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However, many have argued that while the track is unsuitable for national competitions, it could have remained open for school sports days and for training purposes.
Tom Grantham, Sheffield schools athletics co-ordinator, told The Star that the move to close Woodbourn Road has set the sport back years in the Steel City and created an almost Covid-like effect.
He explained: “Lots of competitions are getting cancelled across Sheffield and it’s all been very limited this summer.
“They’ve caused essentially a Covid-effect with the sport. If you look back six years ago, one of the only things that continued was football.”
Tom’s comments come after Jessica Ennis-Hill’s former coach Toni Minichello also spoke out and said the next generation of athletes' chances of forming a career in the sport have been ‘wrecked’ due to the way things have been handled.
These concerns were very much echoed by Tom, who added: “The track is okay to hold schools and contests but just not suitable for elite competitions. We’ve had to go to Rotherham to extend accessibility which is a massive burden on school budgets.
“It’s also unfair on parents that are spending so much on travel - and those without the means to get to Rotherham or elsewhere on an evening after school.
“It’s hard to tell the immediate impact to be honest as I’m so focused on doing everything to try and stop people from having to drop out.
“The effect will be more noticeable in the next three or four years or even sooner if nothing gets done.
“It’ll impact both the future generations and the ones at the moment who are trying to make strides towards the Olympics and other top competitions. Things like that.”
The 2026 Commonwealth Games will take place in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2, 2026 bringing eyes to the sport once again as thousands of youngsters tune in to watch their heroes.
Tom added: “It’s demolarising that we can’t offer kids the full experience they’ll see on TV. Especially while it’s in the public eye.”
Tom is part of a group of Sheffield running clubs bidding to take control of the City of Sheffield Athletics Stadium in Attercliffe. They submitted the proposal to Sheffield Council on Monday, April 27but say they have had restrictive communication.
He said: “Hallam won’t say anything. It’s all been very restrictive in terms of communication. They’ve not had a plan in place or a strategy and they’re incompetent.
“They are using it as an excuse that they can’t spend money on the track - but appear to be putting money into other things. I think they are prioritising the wrong items and trying to come across as helping the community when really they are damaging their reputation.
“It’s all a standstill at the moment - nothing's come forward. I know they can reopen as other facilities do, but we’ve heard nothing.”