Sunderland Football Club and Sunderland City Council today announced the completion of work to turn the former Crowtree ice rink into a temporary indoor training facility for use by both the Club and the local community.
The Club and the City came together to find a solution to SAFC’s need for an indoor training centre and the Council agreed to provide the indoor space required by leasing the unused ice rink space within Crowtree.
Sunderland Football Club has completely refurbished the ice rink removing the existing rink boundaries and seating deck and has covered the whole space with indoor turf. The ice rink equipment remains untouched under the turf. The conversion has brought Tyne and Wear its only turfed indoor area available for community use.
Through the charity arm of the Club, SAFC Foundation, Sunderland AFC will staff the facility during the day and will invite community groups and schools to take part in SAFC’s education and coaching programmes.
Sunderland’s Academy will use the facility to develop young footballers by using the indoor pitch for after-school coaching sessions and it will also be available to Mick McCarthy’s first team squad during inclement winter weather.
SAFC Vice-chairman, John Fickling said:
“Sunderland Council has been a tremendous help to us in finding a viable solution to our need for an indoor training pitch. I would like to express our thanks to the Leader in particular who has been instrumental in driving this project as well as to the City Council as a whole. This further demonstrates the great relationship enjoyed by the Club and the Council.
“This short-term option allows us to maintain our academy status while we consider longer-term options. It has made use of a previously unused facility within the leisure centre, re-opening this area for use once again by our local community.”
Council Leader Bob Symmonds added: “As a Council, we’re very keen to encourage young people to take part in sporting opportunities so the completion of the indoor pitch is great news, not only for the football club but for the wider community. It’s especially good news for our schools and young people who will now be able to join SAFC Foundation education and coaching sessions at a first class training facility.”
Sunderland AFC needed to have an indoor facility, which satisfied League requirements by the end of 2003 in order to retain its Academy status. Without this facility the Club’s Academy Status could have been jeopardised.
Academy status is crucial to the Club for two key reasons. Firstly, to attract the most talented young players because the potential stars of the future would not choose to sign for a club which only operates as a Centre of Excellence and cannot point to the quality charter associated with football Academies.
Secondly, only clubs with Academy Status can play in the FA Premier Youth Leagues. It is essential that up and coming players obtain regular experience of playing against the country’s elite teams. This represents the difference between our youngsters playing against their contemporaries at Liverpool and Arsenal.
