England Supporters Club

England star Laura Bassett opens new £800k 3G pitch in Staffs

Posted by Team England at 10:47 on Monday 16 November 2015

England star Laura Bassett was on hand to officially open a state-of-the-art 3G artificial grass pitch in Penkridge, which is set to give a shot in the arm to grassroots football in the local area.

The pitch development at Wolgarston High School is the culmination of three years planning and preparation after the school successfully secured a £300,000 grant from the Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund.

Additional funding from Staffordshire County Council and other sources enabled the project to come to life, providing a big boost to students.

The new facility will also boost coaching opportunities and playing time for community clubs – who can take advantage of the all-weather, floodlight facilities.

And FA Skills coaches are also set to take advantage of the new facility to provide sessions for 5-11-year-olds, while Staffordshire FA will run refereeing courses.

Local teams including Penkridge Town and Stafford will also have access to the facility.

Notts County defender Bassett, who met with local school children during her visit, said: "It’s great to be on hand at the official opening this fantastic facility in Penkridge.

"To be successful at your sport, it is extremely important to have good facilities, and the development here will make a huge difference for the local clubs and community."

Brian Adshead, Chief Executive of Staffordshire FA, added: "We are delighted that another modern facility is available to footballers of all ages in south Staffordshire.

"We are grateful that the various funding agencies have worked together with the Staffordshire County Council and our Development Team to make this project a reality."