St George’s Park Football Centre in Burton-upon-Trent has been given the royal treatment in an opening ceremony attended by Prince William. The FA football centre of excellence was opened following more than 14 months of work by various companies, including extensive landscaping by West Midlands based Jack Moody Limited.
Prince William, honorary president of the FA officially opened the state of the art centre in a ceremony attended by 700 guests, including the Duchess of Cambridge, community figure heads and young footballers.
Midlands based landscapers Jack Moody Limited were contacted to landscape the 330-acre site – dubbed ‘the new home of football’ – in September 2011. They have turfed, seeded and planted shrubs and semi-mature trees, as well as creating walled flower areas and tree-lined avenues and pathways. Much of the material used, including large quantities of topsoil and compost, came from Jack Moody’s recycling facilities.
Director of Landscaping Neil Morries said: “As a local company we are proud to have undertaken the landscaping on such a prestigious site, and look forward to follow up visits, continued planting and an on-going comprehensive maintenance programme.
Work on the football academy has taken over 14 months to complete, and the site includes 11 external football pitches, two luxurious hotels, a state of the art gym and a hydrotherapy pool. The FA centre will act as a permanent base for 24 England teams, a training centre for coaches and a centre of excellence for sports science and medicine.
Tel: 01922 417648
www.jackmoodyltd.co.uk