Kick-off for new £18m football hubs
Football stars both past and present have hailed the opening of new state-of-the-art pitches across Wearside.
The three new £18m hubs are at Downhill, Washington and Ford, where 10, full-size artificial pitches have been created, as well as new changing facilities, gyms, cafes, club houses and social and educational areas.
Sunderland’s 1973 FA Cupwinning goalkeeper Jimmy Montgomery was among those at the opening of the Downhill base on Tuesday, where he faced a few shots from youngsters from the Redhouse community group, I Am Sorts, and reminisce about how different pitch es were when hew a salad.
He joked: “They were okay by the time we got the stones off the pitch! Most of the pitches are gone now from when I was around.
“I’m pleased with the city council, because they get so much stick about playing fields being sold off, etc.
“The facilities here are for all ages; adults, boys, girls. To have three hubs in Sunderland is absolutely brilliant. It gets kids off the streets and off their gadgets and phones.”
Current England goal keeper and former Black Cat Jordan Pick ford sent a supportive video message ahead of the opening, as did England Women skipper Steph Houghton and fellow international Jill Scott.
Jordan said: “For me as a northern lad, I used to play in the Russell Foster League when I was younger and throughout the generations, my family used to play and now my nephew plays there.”
Steph added: “I think it’s vitally important for young people, girls and boys, to be able to have that access to facilities to make sure they can play the a sport that they love.”
The project, which also accommodates rugby, was funded by a £14m grant from the Premier League, the FA and the Government’s Football Foundation, as well as £3.8m from Sunderland City Council.
The project is the first in the region and only the fourth in the country.
Speaking at the Downhill site, council leader Graeme Miller said: “The best thing about being here today is seeing Downhill as one of the three sites opening across Sunderland for our all-weather pitches.
“We’ve got four pitches in Washington already as part of an £18m investment in all-weather pitches, which we’ve worked for in partnership with the FA, Sport England and the Government’s Football Foundation.”