Steven Taylor opens new AGP
Steve Taylor officially opened the new state-of-the-art third generation (3G) artificial grass pitch (AGP) on behalf of John Spence Community High School.
The Newcastle United star cut the ribbon at an opening ceremony held at the pitch.
Students at the school, including the five budding stars that play for Newcastle and Sunderland Academy sides, celebrated with a pre-opening game on the new facility that was funded with £242,536 from the Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund.
The previous AGP was laid in 1996 and nearing the end of its useful life, impacting on the school’s PE provision and use of the site for community football. The funding has allowed the school to upgrade to a safer and more user-friendly 3G playing surface. This complements the four changing rooms on the site that were funded by a £250,000 grant from the Football Foundation, awarded to North Tyneside Council in 2004.
Managed by the school via a Football Facilities Management group, the upgrade will not only provide state-of-the-art training and playing facilities for the school, but also community.
The importance of the site for junior and adult grassroots football was highlighted in the local authority’s 2012 Playing Pitch Strategy, and the project will provide the final full-sized 3G AGP required in North Tyneside, based on the results of the mapping process conducted by The FA and Northumberland FA.
Mr Jim Stephenson, Head teacher at John Spence Community High School, said: “The new playing facilities will enable members of the local community to enjoy football activities for the foreseeable future.”
Paul Thorogood, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, added: “This is an outstanding new 3G AGP that will benefit football and other sports in and around North Shields. Developing new grassroots facilities, such as this, is essential to increasing the number of people who have a chance to stay fit and healthy through participating in sport.
“The Football Foundation is dedicated to improving sports sites across the country with investment from our funding partners – the Premier League, the FA, and the Government, via Sport England. I congratulate John Spence Community High School and the Northumberland FA for their hard work on this project.”