Dorchester Magpies To Train On Supergrass Pitch

Footballers

in West Dorset can now play on a new ‘Third Generation’ artificial turf pitch

filled with rubber crumbs, providing a first class playing surface.

Dorchester

Town Football Club will be using the new pitch at Dorchester’s Thomas Hardye

Leisure Centre as the main training facility for the first team. The district

council has been working with the club and other local teams to increase the

number of young people in the area playing football.

The

state-of-the-art surface is able to withstand more intensive use than a

traditional grass pitch, needs lower maintenance and isn’t as affected by

severe weather conditions. The surface, which meets international football

authorities’ standards, has been designed to improve player comfort, minimise

injuries and reduce ball bounce and mimics the feeling of playing on grass.

The

new supergrass can be used by the community and bookings can be made by

contacting the leisure centre. Students at Thomas Hardye School will also be

using the new pitch as part of their PE lessons.

The

district council secured £124,400 from the Football Foundation to resurface the

artificial turf pitch and kick-start a three year programme to promote football

in Dorchester and the surrounding area. Dorset County Council also provided

funding for the new pitch.

Funded

by the Premier League, The FA and the Government, the Football Foundation is

the nation’s largest sports charity. Launched in July 2000, the Foundation

celebrates its tenth anniversary this summer and has so far supported 8,000

community sports projects worth £920m. In Dorset alone it has funded 129

community projects worth £3.8m.

Dorchester

Town Football Club Assistant Manager Phil Simkin said: “The players are

delighted to be able to use such a state-of-the-art facility for training. This

will be extremely beneficial to the club, especially during the winter months

when the all-weather surface will come into its own. Often it is hard to find a

suitable venue to train at during the cold and wet weather and the playing

staff are really looking forward to using this brand new facility”.

West

Dorset District Council leader Robert Gould said: “We are delighted that West

Dorset residents and local teams such as Dorchester Town Football Club now have

access to these state-of-the-art facilities. This new pitch will be a great

asset for West Dorset and a boost to local football. The current pitch at

Thomas Hardye Leisure Centre is already well used by people of all ages and I

hope these new facilities will encourage more people across the district to

take up the sport.”

New

nets will also divide the pitch into three, which will mean more booking

opportunities on offer for local players.