Cats star unveils new rooftop pitch

A PITCH with a view – that’s what Sunderland can boast at the city’s Beacon of Light.

Black Cats’ defender Luke O’nien joined former Sunderland owner Sir Bob Murray at the complex to mark the unveiling of the improved rooftop pitch.

The facility has had significant investment to upgrade the playing surface using leading edge turf technology, to continue to cater to the needs of budding footballers.

Sir Bob, the visionary behind the Beacon of Light, was on hand to show O’nien around the community hub as well as the new pitch.

Boasting six outdoor pitches and an indoor arena, the rooftop pitch is a highly sought-after space to play football in the Beacon. It is used by countless local teams of all ages and anyone can book the pitch for use.

Sir Bob said: “Ensuring our facility is leading edge is paramount to our mission at the Beacon of Light.

“It’s not just about providing a space for activities, it’s also about creating an environment where people of all ages can thrive and enjoy being active.

“It is very important to us and means a great deal that immense players like Luke come to the Beacon of Light and personally commit their time to actively support us in activities from grass roots football to learning to cook or gaining new skills.”

O’nien was quick to compliment the improvements: “It’s an amazing facility. People in Sunderland are very lucky to have something like the Beacon on their doorstep.

“I’ve been to the Beacon many times – I’ve played badminton, had the little one across to join in activities and it’s great to see it so busy,” he added.

“It’s also reassuring to know how important it is to the people who made it possible, through their continuous investment and desire to keep up with other facilities.”

The renewal and upgrade of the pitch was undertaken by Sportex Group, along with their artificial grass partners, Greenfields.

The team had to remove panels from the roof to gain access to remove the old turf and completely resurface the pitch, with the old turf being taken away to get recycled by Sportex.

The Beacon of Light first opened its doors in 2018 and celebrated its sixth birthday this past weekend.