Work starts on new £1.1m Kettering 3G pitch to boost football for women and girls
Work to transform an all-weather sports facility into a 3-G football pitch has begun in Kettering.
The £1.021m project will see the current carpet surface and shock underlay replaced by a football specific astroturf facility at the Thurston Drive site.
Funding for the 3G pitch, along with a refurbished pavilion, has come from a Northamptonshire Football Association award of £50,000, a North Northamptonshire Council award of £150,000, and a Premier League, FA and government’s Football Foundation award of £810,330 through The Lionesses Futures Fund.
Lionesses Futures Fund sites prioritise access for women and girls offering reserved peak-time slots and welcoming changing facilities.
Cllr Helen Howell, deputy leader of North Northamptonshire Council and executive member for sports, leisure, culture and tourism said: “A huge amount of work has gone on behind the scenes to get to the construction stage of the Thurston Drive Kettering football pitch replacement and pavilion refurbishment project.
“This is a fantastic collaboration between all parties looking to find the best outcome for the much-needed refurbishment of this site in the heart of Kettering. I’d like to thank our funding partners, the Football Foundation and Northamptonshire Football Association, as well as the council’s leisure services team, for the most impressive progress to date.
“I’m thrilled to be able to launch the football pitch replacement construction phase of the project, which when completed, will serve as a fantastic footballing leisure resource for not only women, and girls but the wider local community groups for years to come”.
“I can’t wait to see the site brought back into use, it is a much-needed site, and this collaboration goes to show what can be achieved together.”
After the carpet surface is peeled back, the shock absorbing underlayer will be removed to the asphalt foundation. A new 3G rubber crumb all-weather 97m by 61m astroturf pitch will then be laid.
New fencing, LED floodlights and a spectator area will also be installed.
So far Kettering FC, Kettering Town Community Trust, Mawsley FC and Kettering Hawks FC have signed up to use the pitch that can be split into four areas and hired for training.
Peak times will be from 6pm to 9pm, Monday to Friday, with 60 slots available using an online booking system.
The pitch will be open from 9am to 10pm, Monday to Friday and 9am to 4pm at the weekend.
Kirsty Clarke, Chief Executive Officer of Northamptonshire Football Association, said: “As the future operator of this site, Northamptonshire FA will be watching with excitement as the contractors bring the new pitch to life. We’re all hugely optimistic about the role this site can play to inspire the next generation of Lionesses and helping to deliver the priorities in our Create the Feeling grassroots football strategy”.
Robert Sullivan, CEO of the Football Foundation added: “Like all Lionesses Futures Fund sites, the new 3G pitch at Kettering will provide a safe, accessible and welcoming place to play for the local community in Kettering to lace up their boots.”
The Thurston Drive Kettering sports pavilion home of Kettering Town Harriers Athletics Club will get new changing facilities, an athletics club room and a café, with work on the pavilion is expected to begin in April 2025.