Community sport hub opens in Portsmouth thanks to football foundation investment
By Joel, 16, Jill Dando News correspondant
A new multi-million-pound sports hub has opened at King George V Playing Fields in Portsmouth thanks to a £4.4 million grant from the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation. Portsmouth City Council provided £3.7m towards the scheme.
Local residents now have access to two 3G pitches, six grass pitches and a pavilion featuring changing rooms, a café, multi-use rooms and social space.
The King George V Football Complex will be operated by Hampshire FA , and will provide a home for several local grassroots clubs Meon Milton FC, City Ladies FC, Fleur De Lys FC, Baffins Milton FC, East Lodge FC and Paulsgrove FC.
These clubs run a total of 120 teams, and the development of this Hub will allow them to significantly expand their provision to the local community - within five years of the hub opening its expected teams will grow to more than 150.
Hampshire FA and Pompey in The Community (PITC) will also use the site to run several community programmes, including walking football, Man v Fat, Premier League Kicks, female turn up and play sessions, Positive Activities and disability sessions.
The breakdown of this funding from Portsmouth City Council is as follows: £1m from the Levelling Up Fund, £250k from the Youth Investment Fund, £40k from Changing Places, with the remaining £2.41m coming from council funding.
Improved and increased car parking is also being provided, which will benefit people using the football or the public open space.
Dean Potter, Director of Grant Management at the Football Foundation, said:
“It’s great to see the King George V Football Complex officially open today. It’s a brilliant example of how investment from our partners, the Premier League, The FA, Government and Sport England improves grassroots facilities across the country.
“We know that facilities like this one in Portsmouth are vital for local communities and will enable more people in and around the area to have great places to play.”
Cllr Steve Pitt, Leader of the Council with responsibility for Culture, Regeneration & Economic Development at Portsmouth City Council, said:
“We've worked in partnership with the Football Foundation and Hampshire FA to bring this much-needed sports facility to the city, to encourage grassroots football and enable children and adults to play football whatever the weather in a welcoming environment."
“The health and emotional well-being of residents is of paramount importance to us. We are committed to providing sports and leisure facilities across Portsmouth, which are accessible to all and support a wide range of sporting activities. This is why we are so proud of the King George V Football Complex, built to benefit the whole community."
Neil Cassar, Hampshire FA CEO, said:
“Hampshire FA is delighted to be appointed as the operator of the fabulous King George V Football Complex in Cosham. We look forward to building a strong network for the local community and for the grassroots game. We are confident that this fantastic site will unite members from Portsmouth and surrounding areas under one roof whilst welcoming all beyond the local boundaries to consider the site for their own provisions, events and more.
“There is no doubt that King George V Football Complex will provide state of the art football and ancillary facilities and we welcome the opportunity to use our expertise and experience of operating three other hub sites in the county to promote, develop and progress this exciting new venue."
"Working with the collective funding partners, we are positive that King George V Football Complex will be a thriving success.”
