England’s National Football Centre Will Now Be Named “St. George’s Park”

January 19th, 2010 | by: Daryl | View Comments

Remember the National Football Centre? The facility in Burton-upon-Trent (centrally located) that was supposed to be England’s answer to France’s Clairefontaine? Well, after a bit of a hiatus, the facility has been renamed St. George’s Park and looks to be happening again.

The centre is intended as both a training base for all England teams (senior, under 21 etc) as well as the place where all coaching education happens, and the future HQ of the League Manager’s Association.

Here’s what the FA say will be there:

The Park’s facilities will comprise 12 full-size football pitches including one synthetic pitch and one full-size indoor facility along with a multi-purpose sports hall.

The site will feature a 150-bed four star hotel, an 80-bed three star hotel, a regional conference facility, banqueting suite, training and seminar rooms, including a 90-seat lecture theatre and modern digitally equipped library.

Housed on the site will be a flexible indoor sports hall with facilities for Futsal, partially sighted football, 12 badminton courts and a state-of-the-art full size indoor pitch. Linking the buildings will be players’ changing facilities, a cutting-edge gymnasium and hydrotherapy suite with accompanying sports medicine and sports science facilities.

All very nice. But the really big change is that the centre will now include a housing development as well as a hotel, which should alleviate some of the FA’s and Umbro’s costs.

Obviously this centre is looooooong overdue. France’s World Cup win which somewhat inspired the idea was back in 1998. Twelve years ago. But we’re still in the planning stage, and I’m not 100% sure about the name change to St. George’s Park. I know it’s patriotic, but it’s not very subtle is it? Think I preferred the National Football Centre.

Then again, rebranding is everything. So if that’s what it takes to get his damn thing built the I say let’s go for it.