There was a special presentation for the JJB Soccer Dome in Derby on Thursday, as they became the inaugural winners of a new FA award.

The busy football facility, situated next to Derby County’s Pride Park home, was presented with The FA Small Sided Football Award as a result of their work in promoting the game and attracting new teams and more players to partake in the small-sided game.

With eleven indoor and outdoor pitches, the Derby Soccer Dome is the smallest of JJB’s six centres but is the busiest, thanks to a bustling five-a-side league system and the coaching of younger players in conjunction with the Derby County FC Football In The Community Programme.

Over 400 youngsters have received coaching at the venue from Derby’s FITC coaches who were awarded with The FA’s Charter Standard status earlier this year.

As well as that, there are adult leagues, junior leagues and a women and girls’ league with emphasis on enjoying the game and improving technically in what is a superbly accessible facility for footballers of all age and ability.

The FA’s National Development Manager of Small Sided Football, Dermot Collins, was present to hand over the award and said: “The JJB Soccer Dome in Derby have won this award purely because of the huge number of teams that play there and the facilities and service that they provide every week.

“As well as that, the fact that they have established women and girls’ leagues and youth leagues, piloted a new player ID scheme and hosted a number of national events, including the regional tournament of The FA Umbro Fives, all worked in their favour.”

Oliver Selfe, General Manager of The Soccer Dome in Derby, was equally delighted with the award and revealed: “There has been a lot of hard work gone into this over the last three and a half years from all of the staff, so we’re very pleased to receive the award.

“The number of people who come to play here throughout the week has grown and grown and our work with the Football In The Community staff from Derby County FC has seen over 400 kids receive top level coaching here and we also have 400 adult teams who play here regularly in their leagues.”

The Operations Manager of JJB Soccer Domes, Dean Hogan, was also there to witness the presentation and he added: “JJB are delighted to receive the award and be recognised for the work that is done here and at the other five centres that we have.

“Having been involved in five-a-side football for 19 years now, I know that we are setting the standard in terms of the facilities and it is getting more and more local children playing football and receiving coaching on a regular basis.

“The pitches here offer something different and people can come and play, no matter what the weather is like outdoors and at their convenience, day or night.”

The Chief Executive of the Derbyshire FA, Keith Compton, was present and revealed that the standard set by the Soccer Dome has since been followed in other parts of the area.

“More and more people are playing in Derbyshire and in Derby we have floodlit pitches at Lees Brook and Derby Moor Schools and in Swadlincote at Pingop, which are always fully booked.

“The standard has been set by JJB though and together with Derby County FC, they have done a fantastic job of promoting smaller sided games.”