GRASSROOTS sport in Barnsley is set to be handed a major boost with the opening of a new 3G artificial pitch at the Dorothy Hyman Sports Centre in Cudworth.
The £350,000 project, which was delivered by the Premier League and FA Facilities Fund, will be revealed on Monday after the centre’s previous pitch was declared unsafe in 2012 due to 20 years’ heavy use.
The new Football Association-approved 106m by 70m pitch also has improved floodlights and a 4.5-metre boundary fence around the perimeter which encloses the area.
Although the pitch is suitable for 11-a-side matches, it is anticipated the centre will divide the playing area to accommodate smaller training sessions and attract nine, seven and five-a-side teams.
Barnsley Premier Leisure (BPL), which runs the venue, also wants the facility to become a hub for Barnsley FC’s ‘Reds in the Community’ outreach programmes while it will also be used by local junior teams such as Pinfold Pumas, Darfield and neighbouring Churchfield Primary School, as well as the local community.
Joni Millthorpe, BPL contracts manager, said: “There has been a lot of excitement around the new development.
“Many local teams are finding it difficult to expand because they don’t have the facilities to train and it can be expensive to travel outside the area, which is hindering their growth.
“This new pitch will allow them to go from strength to strength.”
Usage is expected to dramatically increase because of the new pitch’s opening, with a projected 35 teams expected to call the venue their home within five years.
BPL will also be working with partners to grow participation in football, particularly among girls and adults with disabilities, to further the facility’s appeal.
Joni added: “It’s huge for us to be able to offer football year-round and meet the needs of local clubs, as well as enabling us to grow participation. It’s going to be a big asset.
“We already have strong links with Churchfield Primary and are really keen to work with other local schools. We want to provide them with a pitch to be proud of.”
Cudworth’s Coun Charlie Wraith praised the work that’s been done at the facility and said it will attract more people into the village.
“It’s an excellent thing to have in Cudworth,” he told the Chronicle. “Not many out-of-town villages have a facility as good as the Dorothy Hyman to use so it’s fantastic for people of all ages. It’s now better than it’s ever been because of the hard work that’s been done to secure funding for the pitch.
“The effects of this will be felt by youngsters from schools who will no doubt be keen to play there, as well as adult teams who will now want to call the centre their base.
“One of our priorities is to boost health and fitness in 2018 and this project ties in perfectly with that. I’m certain the public will support it as it’s something we can all be very proud of.”
