Partington Sports Village unveils new ‘all weather’ artificial grass pitch at Broadoak School

A new artificial grass pitch (AGP) at Partington Sports Village has officially launched with an opening ceremony attended by special guests, including Cllr Dolores O’Sullivan, Mayor of Trafford, Cllr Tom Ross, Leader of the Council, Cllr Catherine Hynes, Deputy Leader of the Council, Andy Worthington, Chair, Trafford Leisure, John Lamb, Chair of Governors for the West Trafford Learning Partnership (WTLP) and Broadoak School’s headteacher, John Knowles.

The facilities at Partington Sports Village, based at Broadoak School and operated jointly by the Dean Trust and Trafford Leisure, have provided valuable benefits to the community for many years. The new, fully flood lit pitch means there are now two full-size all weather pitches available, doubling capacity for even more local players, teams and clubs to make use of the world-class facilities.

In order to create a viable plan and secure funding for the redevelopment, the Dean Trust formed a working group with partners, including Trafford Leisure, Trafford Council, the County FA’s for Cheshire and Manchester and the Football Foundation, and submitted an application with input from partners, community residents and local businesses.

Following a detailed assessment, the Football Foundation approved a grant of £801,000, with the Trust also providing capital funds, and Trafford Council contributing £200,000 bringing the overall project value to approximately £1.05 million.

The Council’s investment is part of a successful bid for £18.3 million of Government Levelling Up funding, which further supports Trafford Council’s sport and physical activity strategy, Trafford Moving, and will see a multi-million pound refurbishment of Partington Sports Village carried out, including improving the BMX track and associated facilities, fully renovating Cross Lane Park changing rooms, and building a trim trail around the park to improve access and support walking and running in the area.

Jo Cherrett, CEO, Trafford Leisure says: “We are delighted that the long anticipated new pitch has opened, making Partington Sports Village a centre of excellence for sports in Greater Manchester.  The extra capacity will mean even more grassroots teams and groups will benefit from the facilities.  It’s fantastic that we have had a big uptick in girls and women wanting to play football, with Partington Sports Village already being home to a dedicated girls and women’s league. Building on from the legacy of the Women’s European Championships, which were hosted in Trafford, we  hope this new pitch and the refurbished changing rooms on Cross Lane Park means we can meet the demand for even more women’s football.

Trafford Council is committed to improving the health and fitness of residents across the borough and has made reducing health inequalities and addressing climate crisis top corporate priorities.

Cllr Tom Ross, Leader of Trafford Council explains: “We are transforming Partington Sports Village into a state-of-the-art facility and the new artificial grass pitch will be a fantastic addition to the facility. We are totally committed to ensuring residents are given access to fabulous sporting facilities like this. Budding young male and female football stars will begin their journeys here and it will be used by the community for many decades. Thanks to everyone who worked on this superb project.” 

Taun Kapur, CBE, Chief Executive, Dean Trust says: “The Trust has been in the heart of the Partington community for nearly 20 years and provides a good education for all pupils in our three schools. This new facility will further enhance opportunities for the wider school community and for community groups and football teams in the South Trafford area. We are particularly pleased that we are able to provide the majority of usage for women and girls, in this exciting growth area of football. Many thanks to all partners who have made this dream a reality.”