New Dell Stadium artificial pitch ready to be unveiled after £650k project
A new £600,000 state-of-the-art football pitch at the Dell Stadium will be officially opened next week.
The floodlit 3G artificial grass pitch will be opened by the Mayor of Dudley on Wednesday at 6.30pm.
The pitch has been developed thanks to investment from the Premier League, the Football Association and the Government, via Sport England.
The evening will conclude at 7.30pm with a football match of the new pitch between Wolves All Stars and Dudley Town FC.
The new pitch has cost around £644,000 – made up of £543,927 funding from the Premier League and the FA Facilities Fund, which is delivered by the Football Foundation, and £100,000 from Dudley Council.
The investment is in addition to the council's commitment to invest £24.5m in the wider leisure service in the borough – which includes plans for a new leisure centre in Dudley, as well as refurbishing and modernising the existing leisure centres in Halesowen and Stourbridge.
Alan Lunt, the council's strategic director for place, said: "We are immensely proud and privileged to have this new facility and hope it will be beneficial to grassroots in football in and around Dudley borough.
"We would like to thank the FA for its valued support and funding for this project, which forms part of our wider investment in leisure and sport facilities."
The council is working closely with the Birmingham County FA and the Football Foundation to ensure local people and clubs will get the most out of the new pitch, with an emphasis on increasing participation in sport.
Partner clubs will use the new pitch as a home base, while Dudley Town FC, Gornal Colts FC, the Stourbridge & District Youth Football League and Wolves Community Trust are among the many other organisations able to use the new playing surface.
Any one interested in booking the pitch can contact area manager Steve Gay at steve.gay@dudley.gov.uk.
