Celtic unveil plans for new training complex and academy

Celtic believe they will have a new training complex and youth academy that will equal anything in Europe with a new GBP 7 million complex opening in June 2007.
 
The facility, which will be built on a 50-acre site north of Glasgow at Lennoxtown, could help, aside from developing the club’s own talent further, attract big names to the club.
 
Celtic currently use Barrowfield training ground, only half a mile from Celtic Park in the heart of the east end of Glasgow. It has been used for more than 40 years, but the needs have changed since then, and manager Gordon Strachan said that the new Sports Academy and Training Centre — with its plethora of pitches, including an indoor one — will help him.
 
A major benefit will be showing potential signings that they will have a place to work for five days of the week that will match the surroundings of their 60,000-seat home on a Saturday.
 
“What we do at the moment is bring them to Celtic Park, sign them and then take them to Barrowfield,” said club chief executive Peter Lawwell. “So we might now do it the other way around. It’s a great selling point absolutely. The site is world-class, it’s stunning.”
 
The club’s youth academy will also change. It also is based at Barrowfield, where there are not enough playing surfaces to meet demand, but that will not be a problem at Lennoxtown.
 
Celtic invest GBP 1.5 million a year into their youth programme, which has paid dividends this season by the reserves and youths both winning their championships, and Celtic winning the SFA Youth Cup. It has produced players such as Aiden McGeady, John Kennedy, Shaun Maloney, Craig Beattie, Stephen McManus and John Kennedy for the first team.
 
“This is a very important, very significant milestone for Celtic,” said chairman Brian Quinn. “Of course, we have had training facilities for many years, under-appreciated I might say, but I think we felt it was important to keep on going and not be complacent, show signs of development and put the substance into it. There is always a need and desire to take the next step and avoid the feeling you’ve completed the job. I’m sure we can now develop Celtic further.”
 
Lawwell said the Lennoxtown facility, which is being funded by the club’s successful share issue last year, would not affect Strachan’s transfer budget.
 
“This was from the GBP 15 million raised last year and the commitment made was to use a significant proportion of those funds for this facility,” Lawwell said.
 
There is a lack of quality training facilities among top Scottish clubs. Rangers and Hearts of Midlothian have their own purpose-built complexes — Rangers’ cost GBP 14 million, while Hearts went into partnership with Heriot Watt University.
 
“It means that all our football functions will go out to Lennoxtown, that includes the first team, the reserves, all the professionals and that will give them first-class facilities as well as also allowing us to expand the academy,” Lawwell said.
 
The complex will include three natural grass full-sized pitches, one full-sized artificial pitch, an indoor training area; gym/fitness suit, hydrotherapy facilities, medical facilities and a sports science/development facility .
 
 “I have already visited the site and seen the plans and the whole project looks very exciting,” Strachan said. “Clearly, a club of Celtic’s size and stature requires quality facilities to match and the new development will certainly deliver these.”

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.