St George’s Park opens
New National Football Centre gets Royal approval.
Culture Secretary Maria Miller and Sports Minister Hugh Robertson joined Football Association President, the Duke of Cambridge, the Duchess of Cambridge and Chairman of the Football Association David Bernstein today to officially open the FA’s national football centre.
St George’s Park, based in Burton-Upon-Trent, will be a centre of excellence for football, training the next generation of coaches. It will also be used as a training base for all England teams as well as being accessible for community and schools use and boasts the very best medical and sports science facilities.
Future investment
Attending the opening, Maria Miller said: “The opening of St George’s Park is a landmark moment for football in this country, which will help strengthen our national game at all levels. This summer has shown the importance that sport has at the heart of the British nation.
“It is through projects and investments such as St George’s Park that the next generation of coaches can be identified and nurtured, helping to develop the England stars of the future. Good coaching is vital for a sport to grow, and I am very pleased that Government and the National Lottery have been able to invest £6 million to help open up these fantastic facilities for local communities and schools.”
The £6 million of public money for the development of St George’s Park includes £3 million in National Lottery funding from Sport England to provide greater opportunities for communities and schools at the venue, and £3 million directly from DCMS, aimed at increasing the number of qualified coaches from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.