Coventry City FC manager Chris Coleman today visited a brand new state-of-the-art sports site in Coventry to officially open its doors to the community.
The Football Foundation awarded a grant of £960,000 to Coventry City Council and Moat House Community Trust towards development of the Moat House Leisure Centre at the end of 2007 after they successfully applied for funding from the Foundation towards the sport element of the wider regeneration programme.
Formerly a brownfield site, the new sports facilities now boast:
• Two primary 7 a-side grass pitches
• Two primary 11 a-side grass pitches
• One full sized third generation Artificial Grass Pitch with floodlights
• Two Multi Use Games Areas with floodlights
• A Neighbourhood Centre comprising:
- Multi use Sports Hall
- Six team changing provision
- Educational areas
- First Aid room
- Café
- Toilets
- Office space
- Storage facilities
Paul Thorogood, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “These fantastic new state-of-the-art sports facilities will provide excellent provision for the community. They will enable many more local people to get access to regular sporting opportunities and the site will be a vital part of the regeneration of this part of the city.
“All stakeholders, in particular Coventry City Council and the Birmingham County FA, deserve immense credit for making this happen. It is thanks to the contributions of our funding partners – the Premier League, The FA and Government – that the Football Foundation exists to support excellent projects such as this one.
“It is very fitting that these new Football Foundation-funded facilities have been declared open today by former international footballer and current Coventry manager Chris Coleman.”
The Football Foundation is dedicated to revitalising the grass roots of the game, constructing modern football facilities, developing football as a force for social cohesion and as a vehicle for education in communities throughout the country.
Funded by the Premier League, The Football Association and the Government, the Football Foundation is the nation’s largest sports charity with a £40m budget going straight into the heart of football.
