New All-weather Sports Pitch At King College Nears Completion

Published on: 26 Mar, 2019
Updated on: 25 Mar, 2019

Work is on schedule to replace an all-weather sports pitch at King College in Park Barn, Guildford.

Work in progress on the new all-weather sports pitch at King College, Park Barn, Guildford.

The new pitch, of the 3G type, features long synthetic grass with a shock-absorbent rubber ‘crumb’. It will be floodlit with a new spectator area and will be used by the secondary school in the daytime and available for community, club and private hire in the evenings and weekends.

The principal of Kings College, Alastair McKenzie, said: “With so many enthusiastic and talented footballers within the school, we look forward to being able to support their sporting development. Kings has always been a community school and it is heartening to be able to provide an elite venue for local people to use and enjoy.”

The new pitch will also provide a new venue for Guildford Saints, Worplesdon Rangers and Woking Football in the Community, to host club training, matches, community football programmes and holiday activities for juniors and seniors for both women’s and men’s football.

Chris Sexton, Woking Football in the Community senior football development coach and coach mentor added: “It will enable us to deliver our community work in the Guildford area, providing local residents with activities, which will support us in our aim to create opportunities for all.”

A spokesperson from Guildford Saints Football Club said: “We have 27 team of girls and boys ranging in age from seven to 18 years and we strive to provide a platform for everyone to develop themselves as both footballers and as people, through our professional and highly qualified volunteer coaches. To do that, we need top class facilities like this one to meet our current capacity demands.”

The Premier League and the FA Facilities Fund have contributed more than £346,000 towards the new pitch, with match funding of £120,000 from Guildford Borough Council and £80,000 from the Guildford Education Partnership, the education trust of which Kings College is a member.

Guildford Borough Council’s Cllr Iseult Roche, lead councillor for community health, wellbeing and its Project Aspire, said: “It is great to see the project progressing so quickly. We are really excited about the opening of the pitch and to see the new opportunities it will bring to the area.”

The new pitch is set to be officially opened on Saturday, May 11 at a free community event. There will be a range of fun activities for all ages and abilities. Visitors will be able to find out more about the programme of activities available.

Responses to New All-weather Sports Pitch At King College Nears Completion

F Barker Reply

March 26, 2019 at 11:17 am

Does this mean that the training and matches will stop at Stoughton Recreation ground? I hope so after years and years of inconsiderate parking and driveway blocking every weekend when there are at least 100 extra cars on the roads surrounding the park, more if there’s a tournament. Residents are either trapped in their driveways or, if they can get out, can’t park anywhere near their home upon returning.