Stuart Pearce unveiled a brand new artificial pitch for Peterborough and it has already become one fo the City's biggest providers of football.

Funded by the Football Foundation and Peterborough City Council, the new third-generation (3G) pitch at The Grange will allow Netherton United Football Club to deliver their ambition of facilitating football for all throughout the local area.

And the England Under-21s Coach was delighted to play his part when he officially opened the new facility on Saturday,

“New 3G all-weather pitches, like this one, are crucial to the development of young aspiring footballers, who need quality facilities to train and play on.

“It is fantastic to see Football Foundation funding making such a difference to clubs and communities across the country.”

The venue will also play host to The FA’s Football Mash Up programme, which in partnership with England Team sponsor Vauxhall, is aimed at reducing the dropout rate of 14 to 17-year-olds in football.

Netherton United and Peterborough City Council worked in partnership with the Huntingdonshire FA to secure a £246,000 grant from the Football Foundation.

Funded by the Premier League, The FA, and 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.

Peterborough City Council has invested over £700,000 in the project that also includes a football development office and improved access and car parking. The community facility is available to be hired by residents and teams from across Peterborough.

Ron Seddon, Chairman of the Netherton United Football Club, said: “The project has already done more to integrate and encourage young footballers from different living areas and communities in Peterborough than anything else we have achieved in our 21 years of providing football.

“We are grateful to the Football Foundation and Peterborough City Council for making this happen.”

Paul Thorogood, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “It is so rewarding to see this new facility completed and ready for use by the local community.

"Alongside the Huntingdonshire FA, Netherton United Football Club and Peterborough City Council have worked extremely hard to ensure this project has come to fruition and deserve great credit for its endeavours.

“This project in Peterborough 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.”

For more information about the work of the Football Foundation visit www.footballfoundation.org.uk or follow on Twitter @FootballFoundtn