A former Coventry City, West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa star visited Evesham to open the district’s latest state-of-the-art 3G pitch following investment by Wychavon and the Football Foundation.
Garry Thompson was guest of honour at Prince Henry’s High School on Friday, 16 May to perform the official opening.
The full-size floodlit 3G pitch will not only benefit pupils but also the community, including Ashton 88 FC, which were partners in the project and have 200 children playing across 13 teams.
Wychavon invested £300,000 into the scheme, with another £628,000 coming from a grant from the Football Foundation. It takes Wychavon’s investment in new and upgraded sporting facilities since 2021 to £4.9 million, including 3G pitches at Inkberrow, Evesham United, Pershore and Droitwich Spa.
Wychavon’s 2020 Playing Pitches and Open Spaces Strategy identified a need for more artificial surfaces across the district as many grass pitches suffered from flooding and could only be used for up to three hours a week to protect them.
The availability of 3G pitches is also credited with boosting the growth of girls’ and women’s football in the UK, something Wychavon is keen to support.
Mr Thompson, who scored more than 150 career goals between 1977 and 1997, said: “Facilities like this are so important for grassroots football. We all start somewhere and kids need a place they can go and play, learn, develop, keep fit and learn how to work with other people. Everyone involved with creating this facility has done an absolutely unbelievable job. The challenge for the kids now is to go and enjoy themselves as much as possible and develop as far as they can go.”
Dr Tony Evans, Headteacher at Prince Henry’s High School, added: “This has been a long time in the planning and our heartfelt thanks go to everyone at Wychavon for their pivotal role in helping to turn this dream into a reality.
“The expertise and funding from the Football Foundation has been invaluable, as has the support from the Worcestershire FA and our partner club Ashton 88 FC.
“The benefits of this facility will be immeasurable both for our pupils and the wider community.”
Cllr Rob Adams, Wychavon’s Executive Board Member for Strong Communities, Culture and sport, said: “I’m proud of the investment we have made to increase the number of artificial pitches across the district, providing more opportunities for our residents, of all abilities, to enjoy the benefits of playing sport and keeping active.”
Gary Locke, Chairman of Ashton 88 FC, added: “The pitch has made a massive difference to the club already. We’re training here during the week and at weekends and we’re now playing our Saturday matches here too. The kids love the playing surface and it’s helping promote more skilful football.”
Pictured above: Prince Henry’s High School pupils with (left to right) Dr Tony Evans, Headteacher of Prince Henry’s High School, Garry Thompson, Chris Whittaker, Delivery Officer for the Football Foundation, Gary Locke, Chairman of Ashton 88 FC, Cllr Mark Goodge, Wychavon’s Chairman, Jayne Pickering, Wychavon’s Deputy Chief Executive and Cllr Rob Adams, Wychavon’s Executive Board Member for Strong Communities, Culture and Sport.