A £70m plan has been set out to transform the area around a town’s football stadium with a new sport campus, a 3G pitch and a 3,000-seat netball stadium.
‘BBC’ stated that the SportsTown development has been proposed for the land around the Boundary Park in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England (UK) in a joint regeneration plan by the Oldham Athletic A.F.C. and the town’s Council.
The Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is a professional association football club in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England (UK). As of the 2024-2025 seasons the team competes in the National League, the fifth level of the English football league system.
The 13,186-capacity Boundary Park is a football stadium in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England (UK). It serves as the home ground of the Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
‘BBC’ further stated that it includes the creation of new sport facilities and higher and further education opportunities in health and sport to attract the students.
The Oldham Athletic Chairman Frank Rothwell said the plan would “build a legacy, give the young people real opportunities and put Oldham on the map. This funding is going to set things in motion for something truly game-changing. We’re not here to mess about.”
The club and the Council unveiled the plan after receiving a £5m cash boot from the Government’s Community Regeneration Fund to get the scheme started.
It is hoped that the project will expand with private investment and those behind the scheme hope to build partnerships with the local universities and the hospitals to create education opportunities.
‘Springboard’
Under the plans the new sports facilities including a new 3G pitch would be built on the land surrounding the Boundary Park which is shared with the Oldham Rugby League Football Club.
A 3G pitch refers to a third-generation artificial grass pitch designed to mimic the playing characteristics of the natural turf often used for sports like football and rugby.
The Oldham Rugby League Football Club is a professional rugby league football club based in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England (UK). The club plays its home games at the Boundary Park and competes in Championship, the second tier of the British rugby league.
The Oldham Athletic Chief Executive Darren Royle said the aim was to address a “brain drain” in the town by creating a center that could keep the students in the town.
He said Oldham had some of the lowest numbers of people in higher and further education in Greater Manchester.
A 3,000-seat netball stadium was also planned in the long term to meet the need for this size of stadium in the region, he said.
Another aim of the plan was to use the new facilities to boost the number of academy places for the local football teams.
Mike Ford, Managing Director of Oldham R.L.F.C., said the investment and opportunities SportsTown could bring is “exactly what Oldham needs”.
He said the £5m Government cash boot would “act as a springboard for further investment to realize the full SportsTown vision”.
Continue to follow Coliseum for latest updates on venues business news. Coliseum is dedicated towards building the best global community of sports and entertainment venue executives and professionals creating better and more profitable venues.
Become a member of the only Global Sports Venue Alliance and connect with stadiums, arenas and experts from around the world. Apply for membership at www.coliseum-online.com/alliance and make use of the 365Coliseum Business.