Rossett Sports Centre’s brand new artificial football pitch is up and running after a community appeal helped to fund resurfacing work.
The new pitch – an FA-approved Tiger Turf Atomic Pro 3G synthetic turf – was declared open by Rossett headteacher Helen Woodcock.
Ms Woodcock said:
I’m thrilled to open our brand new, state-of-the-art 3G playing surface. Thank you to all those who generously contributed to the recent crowdfunding campaign. Without your valued support, we may not have been able to achieve this fantastic replacement of a valuable community facility.
Among those already making the most of the new pitch are hundreds of boys and girls from Beckwithshaw Saints Junior Football Club.
Alongside training sessions, the club was also delighted to use it for a mini tournament at the weekend, which saw teams across a range of age groups taking part in matches that were spread out across pitches throughout the day.
Coaches Craig Smyth and Tony Page said:
It’s been fantastic to see everyone playing on the brand new 3G. The new pitch is not only valuable to us as a football club but also to the whole local community.
We’re hoping to use the new 3G and our reaffirmed partnership with Rossett as a springboard for new growth into girls and disability football.
Rossett Sports Centre manager Josh Lyon said:
It was fantastic to get the work finished and it’s been brilliant to see everyone enjoying the new pitch. The project went really well and there were no major delays, it was great.
Josh was among those taking part in the very first game to be played on the new pitch, a farewell match for retiring Rossett School teacher Mark Fenton.
Josh added:
You can’t get any better to play on. It’s great to have it back open for the community and for grass roots football, and it will hopefully last for a good ten years. We can’t thank all the supporters of our fundraising appeal enough.
Rossett School runs the sports centre on Pannal Ash Road, which is used by its PE department during the day and by the public outside of school hours, seven days a week. The 3G pitch is played on by more than 1,000 people every week.
The £10,000 crowdfunding appeal was made after initial plans and funding to re-lay the old pitch last year were scuppered by the pandemic.
