Fleetwood Town are delighted to announce that work on an indoor football pitch facility will commence in January at the club’s Poolfoot Farm training base.
Work on the Air Dome, which will house an artificial grass 7-a-side pitch (60mx40m), a gymnasium area and a sprint track, will be complete by April 2023 and is the result of a seven-figure investment by the club and owner Andy Pilley.
The dome itself is bespoke and made from a high-quality and energy-efficient membrane system, and uses the latest technology to keep the dome inflated, providing a permanent barrier to the worst conditions that the Fylde Coast can offer.
In summer it can also be used, with its double membrane providing a barrier to the sun stopping any temperature increase and providing usage across 365 days of the year.
The higher classification will demonstrate, in addition to the access to such an indoor facility, an improved programme of development and resources available for the academy players such as access to additional coaching and education support.
Not only will the academy benefit from the facility, but the community at large will be able to use the facility throughout the week and at weekends adding a further benefit to users at Poolfoot Farm, at what the already leading home to both elite and community football on the Fylde.
This facility will enable the club’s Academy to apply to move its category status from Category 3 to Category 2.
The club's CEO, Steve Curwood recently travelled to Slovenia to work on the detail and sign the contract with DBS Engineering, one of the leading producers of Air Dome structures.
Town Chairman, Andy Pilley said the news is hugely exciting for the club.
“This is a huge deal for the club, our Academy and the town as a whole. The dome will take Poolfoot Farm to the next level and crucially allow our Academy to apply for Category Two status.
“Further investment at Poolfoot was essential to continue to attract and further develop the best talent locally and if we are serious about continuing to provide state-of-the-art facilities for all our community stakeholders and users.
“Allowing children to continue to train indoors when the worst of the weather hits can only benefit them in the long run and is especially useful during such cold snaps as we have seen across the country this last week.
“Planning permission was granted last year and we have continued to research the right product and supplier and am delighted to say that the contract with DBS Engineering was signed last week while at their Slovenian Headquarters.
“The Dome will be located at the southern end of the site and will sit alongside the Under-23 and Under-18s grass pitch."
The initial phase of the work will start on Monday 16 January 2023, with work to diver the irrigation system, followed by groundworks, before the new artificial pitch is laid and the Dome then erected.
Further information and updates on the facility will be provided in the new year.