Former England Under-21 striker Michael Chopra attended the opening of a new state-of-the-art £2.9m grassroots facility at the Riverside scheme and Aylestone Playing Fields in Leicestershire.
The opening signalled the completion of a co-ordinated investment in 11 grassroots facilities across Leicester, with grants worth a combined £5m – by the Premier League, The FA and Government, via Sport England – which was delivered by the Football Foundation.
The new facility comprises a new 3G pitch, two new sports pavilions which include 14 changing rooms, a kitchen and a bar. There have also been major improvements made to the existing grass pitches through the implementation of a new drainage system.
The site, which will be home to Leicester City Women FC and Guru Nanak Gurdwara (GNG) FC, will boost the provision of female and disability teams in an area that has struggled to cope with the growing demand in recent years.
The project received support from former Leicester striker, and Football Foundation Ambassador, Dion Dublin, who said: “These new facilities are a true investment into grassroots football.
“To enable and increase the participation in sport and physical activity for children, adults and families throughout the city is a commitment that will enable people to enhance and change their lives.”
Rohan Morgan, Chairman of Leicester City Women FC, added: “For the first time in our 10-year history, our girls and women have somewhere that we can call home – a permanent base where the club can now truly develop and grow”.
Meanwhile, Pete Fitzboydon, Chief Operating Officer at the Football Foundation, said: “The Football Foundation is dedicated to improving grassroots facilities across the country with investment from our funding partners. The Leicestershire & Rutland FA, Leicester City Council and everyone involved with the Riverside and Aylestone Playing Fields project deserve praise for their hard work on the facility.”
Funded by The FA, the Premier League and the Government, via Sport England, the Football Foundation is the country’s largest sports charity. Since it was launched in 2000, the Foundation has awarded around 12,000 grants worth more than £490m towards improving grassroots sport, which it has used to attract additional partnership funding of over £651m – over £1bn of investment into the grassroots game.
