The academy’s indoor dome at Fairlow opened this week, giving all ten age groups a full-size artificial pitch under cover for the first time. Winter sessions will no longer depend on the weather.
The dome took eleven months to build and was funded by the club, the Foundation and a grant from the national football foundation. It is available to local schools and the Foundation’s community programmes during the day.
Inside the dome
- A full-size 105 by 68 metre pitch, the same as Kingsway Park.
- Floodlights to broadcast standard and a 200-seat viewing gallery.
- A cafe, changing rooms and a classroom for the academy’s education staff.
“Half of our winter sessions were cancelled last year. From now on the answer to the weather is: so what?”
Gareth Vane, head of academy
Trials
Trials for the under-9 to under-14 age groups take place in the dome on the first two Sundays of September. Registration is open on the academy pages.
