Date: 12th September 2016 at 2:11pm
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The start of September saw our Ambassador and former Leicester City striker, Dion Dublin, return to an area where he played Sunday League football as a youngster, to help open Wreake Valley Academy’s brand new third generation (3G) artificial grass pitch (AGP) in Leicester.

The former Premier League goal machine was joined by ex-Foxes skipper and teammate, Matt Elliott, to cut the ribbon at the stunning new facility.

The state-of-the-art pitch was made possible thanks to a £350,740 grant from the Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund, which is delivered by the Football Foundation. The Fund provides grants towards developing new or refurbished grassroots football facilities.

The official opening of Wreake Valley Academy’s new £567,000 third generation (3G) artificial grass pitch (AGP) by Dion Dublin and Matt Elliott.Picture by Daniel Hambury/Stella Pictures Ltd +44 7813 02285806/09/2016

Photo: Football Foundation

The reigning Premier League champions will deliver community sessions from the site through their Community Trust arm. In addition to subsidised football sessions for local children of all abilities, the club’s Player Pathway scheme will also be held on the pitch with the most talented youngsters given a chance to progress through to the Leicester academy.

Current first-team players Andy King and Jeffrey Schlupp came through that system – and went on to win the league!

Elliott expressed his delight at Leicester City’s Community Trust involvement with the facility, “A Leicester City coach on a new 3G pitch will be a powerful source of inspiration for budding young footballers whether they are playing the sport just to keep fit and healthy or have aspirations of playing the game professionally.”

Having played locally and then gone on to score over 180 goals in his career, Dublin knows what it means to the area to have a facility like this, especially for the development of future players, “I used to play in the Sunday League in this neck of the woods – and this new 3G surface is incredible when you compare it to the sort of run-down pitches that were being used here until recently.”

Both of the Foxes were joined by the only real Fox there is Filbert the Fox! The Leicester City mascot was on hand to take selfies and entertain the kids, highlighting just how involved the Premier League holders are at the facility.

The opening was a great success and everyone thanked Dion and Matt for their support and enthusiasm in supporting the grassroots game.

The official opening of Wreake Valley Academy’s new £567,000 third generation (3G) artificial grass pitch (AGP) by Dion Dublin and Matt Elliott.Picture by Daniel Hambury/Stella Pictures Ltd +44 7813 02285806/09/2016

Photo: Football Foundation

The Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund is funded by the Premier League, The FA, and the Government, via Sport England.

Since it was launched in 2000, the Foundation has awarded around 14,000 grants worth more than £560m towards improving grassroots sport, which it has used to attract additional partnership funding of over £780m – over £1.3bn of investment into grassroots.

 
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