City buy up golf club for new training HQ
LEICESTER City’s vice chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha has hailed plans for a new training centre on the site of the former Park Hill Golf Club in Seagrave as a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’.
The Premier League club has revealed plans for a brand new, state-of-the-art training facility, which will see all the club’s teams based at the site and a programme of public consultation has been scheduled for Spring 2018, giving local residents, businesses, communities and Foxes fans the opportunity to discuss the proposals for the new site.
A club statement said future plans for the site of the Club’s current training facility at Belvoir Drive in Leicester are under consideration and will be decided upon in due course.
“Investment in a training facility to rival the very best in the UK is the latest phase in the realisation of King Power International’s long-term vision for Leicester City – a vision conceived by the Srivaddhanaprabha family and sustainably implemented since 2010.
“The new training centre will include facilities for the Club’s First Team, Development Squad and Academy setups, as well as facilities to support the Club’s community programme and its efforts to promote inclusion and sports participation throughout the region.
“In addition, as part of its commitment to research, development and innovation in sport and beyond, the Club intends to engage with the region’s major educational establishments to offer further opportunities for progressive collaboration in a world-class environment.”
Leicester City Vice Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said: “The Club has experienced an extraordinary rate of growth in the last seven years and keeping the Leicestershire community at the heart of that growth has been and will continue to be a fundamental principle of our vision.
“The new training ground is a truly exciting phase of our development and a once-in-a-generation opportunity for us to demonstrate both our ambition, and that of the city, on such a large scale. We want to invest in the best possible training facilities to develop and attract the world’s elite sporting talent to Leicester and to give them a competitive edge in a game that is constantly evolving.
“It is crucial to us that the benefits brought about by the new development make the facility a source of pride for the Leicestershire community.”
Chief Executive Susan Whelan said: “The new training ground is a very important project for the Club and is still in its early stages, with a lot of plans still to be finalised, but the acquisition of the site is a significant first step we want to share with our fans and with the Leicestershire community.
“The forthcoming consultations will be an opportunity for the surrounding communities to learn more about the direction we would propose, to understand the opportunities the development will present and offer valuable feedback that we can take into the planning stages.
“It’s an exciting time for the Football Club and another strong statement of long-term commitment from King Power International to the Club and the wider region.”