St George's Park National Football Centre
Encyclopedia
St George's Park is the FA's National Football Centre
(NFC) which is situated near Burton upon Trent
, Staffordshire
and is due to be completed in 2012. It was originally referred to as NFC by The FA and was informally referred to as "Burton" but following a public consultation the FA favoured a name change. It is currently used as the training ground for Burton Albion
.
The NFC will cost approximately £100million and between 2001 and January 2010 The FA had spent £25m on the project. The centre will be sponsored by sports manufacturer Umbro
The 350 acres (1.4 km²) site was purchased by The FA for £2 million in 2001 following FA technical director Howard Wilkinson
's preparations for the Centre.
The project's Chairman David Sheepshanks
said: "Our aim is to make St George's Park a sporting destination of choice for coaches, players, administrators and officials alike. In Wembley we have a world-class stadium and in St George's Park we have the place to inspire world-class performance."
Once completed, the NFC is intended to be the training base for all England teams - from the U16s to the senior side - and act as the focal point for the FA's coaching and player development work. The NFC will also boast a "state-of-the-art" indoor pitch, offices for the FA's technical experts, accommodation for 300 and sports science and medicine facilities, as well as 12 world-class training pitches, both grass and artificial surfaces.
The League Managers Association
has committed itself to making the new centre their future headquarters.
However, work was halted on the project in 2004 as the FA focussed its financial efforts on the building of the new Wembley Stadium
. In early 2008, the plans were resurrected, with Trevor Brooking
calling for the project to be finished by 2010, stating that without the NFC "the England coach's job will get that much harder."
once wrote: "The problem for the FA is that as long as it sits there unfinished, Burton is a stick which the FA's critics use to beat it."
National Football Centre
A National Football Centre is the term given to facilities that host an education base for a Football Association....
(NFC) which is situated near Burton upon Trent
Burton upon Trent
Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a town straddling the River Trent in the east of Staffordshire, England. Its associated adjective is "Burtonian"....
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
and is due to be completed in 2012. It was originally referred to as NFC by The FA and was informally referred to as "Burton" but following a public consultation the FA favoured a name change. It is currently used as the training ground for Burton Albion
Burton Albion F.C.
Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005...
.
The NFC will cost approximately £100million and between 2001 and January 2010 The FA had spent £25m on the project. The centre will be sponsored by sports manufacturer Umbro
Umbro
Umbro is an English sportswear and football equipment supplier based in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, England. The company is now part of Nike. Umbro designs, sources, and markets sport-related apparel, footwear, and equipment...
The 350 acres (1.4 km²) site was purchased by The FA for £2 million in 2001 following FA technical director Howard Wilkinson
Howard Wilkinson
Howard Wilkinson is a former English football player and manager, and has recently stepped down as a Non-Executive Director at Sheffield Wednesday after formerly relinquishing the chairman role to Milan Mandaric...
's preparations for the Centre.
The project's Chairman David Sheepshanks
David Sheepshanks
David Sheepshanks is the joint-acting Chairman of The FA. He is best known for being the former chairman of Ipswich Town Football Club in the Football League Championship in England....
said: "Our aim is to make St George's Park a sporting destination of choice for coaches, players, administrators and officials alike. In Wembley we have a world-class stadium and in St George's Park we have the place to inspire world-class performance."
Once completed, the NFC is intended to be the training base for all England teams - from the U16s to the senior side - and act as the focal point for the FA's coaching and player development work. The NFC will also boast a "state-of-the-art" indoor pitch, offices for the FA's technical experts, accommodation for 300 and sports science and medicine facilities, as well as 12 world-class training pitches, both grass and artificial surfaces.
The League Managers Association
League Managers Association
The League Managers Association is the organisation which collectively represents all Premiership and Football League managers in English football...
has committed itself to making the new centre their future headquarters.
However, work was halted on the project in 2004 as the FA focussed its financial efforts on the building of the new Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
. In early 2008, the plans were resurrected, with Trevor Brooking
Trevor Brooking
Sir Trevor David Brooking CBE is a football player turned manager, on-air analyst, and administrator.Brooking attended Ripple Infants School and left Ilford County High School with 11 O-levels and 2 A-levels....
calling for the project to be finished by 2010, stating that without the NFC "the England coach's job will get that much harder."
Critical response
It has been argued by some that the facility is unnecessary. Sam Wallace, a football journalist for The IndependentThe Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
once wrote: "The problem for the FA is that as long as it sits there unfinished, Burton is a stick which the FA's critics use to beat it."