Oxford United are delighted to announce that work began this week on a brand new training ground which will offer a permanent base for the U’s from next season.
United have spent the last seven years based at the Cowley Sports and Social Ground on Horspath Road but this agreement ends in May and the U’s have worked very hard over the past two years to try to find the right solution.
This has been made possible through a new partnership with Oxford City Council and Fusion for an exciting new complex right next door to the existing training ground on Horspath Road.
This will feature six pitches plus a 3G pitch and will be home to both the first team and Academy programme. Alongside the new pitches will be new buildings to house changing rooms, a gym, kitchens, dining room, laundry and storage facilities as well as offices for coaching staff, video analysis suites, classrooms for the scholars, treatment rooms, interview rooms for the media and storage facilities for the maintenance crew.
Work has been ongoing on the pitches for the last few months and preparation and construction of the new buildings is now under way with the aim of completion when the players report back at the start of July.
Richard Blackmore has overseen the project for Oxford United and told us:
“It is an exciting move for the club. It has taken a lot of hard work to get to this stage; not just over the last few years but also historically because the club never really had a permanent base until they got back into the Football League in 2010. This will give us fantastic new facilities on the edge of the city and allow all areas of the club to work side by side, from the young players in the Academy right through to the first team.
“We’d like to thank BMW for being such great landlords but it is time to move on and we now look forward to working with the City Council and with Fusion because the facilities here will be shared with the whole city and hopefully become a major boost for football in general in Oxford, as well as for United.
“In particular we would like to thank Darryl Eales who has believed in this project throughout his time as Chairman and I think leaves this as a fantastic parting gift for the club, and our new Chairman Tiger who understands the importance of top class training facilities to help move the whole club forward.”
Mark Munday Divisional Business Manager for Fusion Lifestyle said
“ We are thrilled to have made this agreement with Oxford United, we have a long association with Oxford United and look forward to an even closure relationship in the future”
“The plan is to have the floodlit 3G pitches available for local teams and the public to use from the Summer and then the grass pitches available soon after any teams or groups interested in using the facilities can register their interest by emailing oxfordsportspark@fusion-lifestyle.com and we will be in touch”
Councillor Linda Smith, Deputy Leader of Oxford City Council, said: “I am delighted that we have reached agreement with Oxford United for the new Oxford Sports Park to become the home of the club’s training facility.
“Oxford Sports Park will provide fantastic new facilities for people of all ages to get into sport in Oxford, but I think this new partnership, with community teams training right next to Oxford United’s stars, will be particularly impactful and inspiring for the city’s children.
“One of the principle aims of the City Council is to tackle inequality across Oxford, particularly in health. Building on the recent investment in sport at the Leys Pools and Leisure Centre and Rose Hill Community Centre, Oxford Sports Park will create a vast new sports facility on the edge of our city that will help people of all ages to keep fit, make social connections and have fun.”
Councillor Linda Smith, Deputy Leader of Oxford City Council, said: “I am delighted that we have reached agreement with Oxford United for the new Oxford Sports Park to become the home of the club’s training facility.
“Oxford Sports Park will provide fantastic new facilities for people of all ages to get into sport in Oxford, but I think this new partnership, with community teams training right next to Oxford United’s stars, will be particularly impactful and inspiring for the city’s children.
“One of the principle aims of the City Council is to tackle inequality across Oxford, particularly in health. Building on the recent investment in sport at the Leys Pools and Leisure Centre and Rose Hill Community Centre, Oxford Sports Park will create a vast new sports facility on the edge of our city that will help people of all ages to keep fit, make social connections and have fun.”