Radcliffe Football Foundation partner with Bury Council on plans for new 3G pitch

A newly established sporting organisation, Radcliffe Football Foundation, is now working in partnership with Bury Council, the Football Foundation and Lancashire FA on developing a funding application for a ‘state of the art’ 3G football facility for Radcliffe.

The Radcliffe Football Foundation has already successfully brought together adult and junior football participation with Radcliffe FC and Radcliffe Juniors FC represented on the Board of Trustees of the newly formed Foundation and already working together to improve the lives of the Radcliffe community through sport.

3G pitches are made up of synthetic grass filled with cushioning rubber as a performance infill. The surface allows for superior grip, smoother play, improved shock absorption and high-quality ball performance.

Studies are now well underway at Redbank Playing Field in Radcliffe to confirm its suitability to house the new facility. The project aims to create a full-sized 3G all-weather floodlit pitch, additional car parking and a new football changing pavilion that will meet the latest FA standards.

Paul Hilton, Radcliffe FC chairman, said: “The creation of the Radcliffe Football Foundation is the next step on our journey to deliver real outcomes for the people of Radcliffe. The pillars of the foundation are:

• The advancement of amateur sport
• Personal wellbeing
• Activity participation and
• Community sport

“Radcliffe FC has a long and proud history as part of the non-league family of clubs in the Greater Manchester area, and it’s fantastic to be working with the council and partners on this exciting project.”

Bury Council has already set aside a total of £500,000 funding for the 3G pitch project and will seek additional funding from other partners too.

Councillor Alan Quinn, the cabinet member for the environment, added: “I’ve spent many a enjoyable Saturday afternoon at Radcliffe watching football and this new facility, subject to external funding, will be a fantastic addition to the sporting landscape in Radcliffe, which we have major plans to improve as part of our significant multi-million-pound regeneration programme for the town centre.”

It is planned that consultation with the local community will take place from April with plans for a public drop-in consultation event, to be held at Radcliffe FC’s Neuven Stadium, where the master plan for Redbank playing fields will be available for local residents to view.