Mark Clemmit joins Middlesex FA’s first anniversary celebration of new facilities at Rectory Park

TV presenter Mark Clemmit was in attendance as Middlesex County FA celebrated the first anniversary of the newly opened facilities at their Rectory Park headquarters in Northolt, Ealing recently.

Middlesex FA President, John Davies (centre) cuts the ribbon at Rectory Park during the first anniversary celebrations

The new facilities were made possible thanks to investment from the Premier League, The FA and government's Football Foundation.

After netting a £3,243,812 grant from the Football Foundation, work begun on the site in April 2017. The grant enabled Middlesex Football Association, who are the not-for-profit, governing body of football in the county, to move to a new sporting hub featuring two new floodlit third generation (3G) artificial grass pitches (AGP), six team changing rooms, community rooms, a café and office space.

The new all-weather pitches have replaced grass pitches which were unable to meet the local playing demand, with matches often having to be postponed due to weather conditions during the harsh winter months.

The facilities at Rectory Park opened to the public in July 2018 and the significant investment has provided accessible year-round opportunities for local people of all ages to play football and benefit from physical activity.

Over the last year Middlesex FA have developed a competitive pricing structure and have enjoyed a successful first season. The site is being used by partner club London Eagles FC, as well as over twenty clubs locally including Celtic FC 1995 and Wealdstone Ladies FC, whilst the Capital Girls League is also based at the site.

Brentford FC Community Sports Trust uses the pitches to deliver a range of development opportunities, which includes BTEC Courses, Premier League Kicks sessions and community access groups based on estate involvement with recreational play activities for youth and adult participation. Emphasis on Rectory Park as a facility for the whole community to enjoy is also reflected in the different levels of football catered for, ranging from youth, female, disability and walking football.

Middlesex FA contributed to the funding of the project through the sale of its Roxborough Road headquarters, additional funding from Ealing Council and the London Marathon Trust also made this possible. The facilities at Rectory Park have already proven to be very versatile and in the past 12 months the site has been used for sports days, exercise classes, community groups and different formats of football.

You can read the full article from the Football Foundation HERE