As a case study, I went to see a match at the brand new Bedfordshire County FA 3G facility in Cranfield which was opened last month.
Neatly tucked away at the end of a new housing estate, the ‘Cranfield Pavilion’ has an extensive car park with 67 spaces. This stretches alongside the full-size artificial floodlit pitch which has a designated spectator area down one side.
The pavilion building itself houses two football changing rooms, male and female officials’ changing rooms, an education classroom space, plus an office, kitchen, and toilets.
A unique feature is that a footbridge was incorporated at the design stage and provides a direct link to the nearby Crawley Road home ground of Cranfield United FC, who play in the Bedfordshire County League. The club holds a bar license and they can now increase their revenue as a result of extra footfall from those using the new Pavilion arena.
After I watched an entertaining Tactic League scholarship fixture involving the Pro Direct Academy Luton team, I asked Bedfordshire FA chief executive officer Alan Young how the Cranfield set-up had come about and why it was necessary.
He told me: “We have our main headquarters based in Dunstable. But the desire to serve our clubs in the north of Bedfordshire was something that could be achieved with this opportunity at Cranfield.
Denne historien er fra June 06, 2021-utgaven av The Non-League Football Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra June 06, 2021-utgaven av The Non-League Football Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
SHAKERS REVEL IN MAKING HISTORY
DAVE McNabb says Bury's FA Cup heroes are proud to be writing their own chapters in club history.
WILCOX: WE FEEL COMPLETE WITH WIN
RUSS WILCOX'S verdict after watching his Gainsborough Trinity side outmuscle and outplay their hosts was that it was \"probably our most complete performance\".
CRACKER BY KABIA TOPPLES TUDORS!
ASSISTANT boss Stewart Yetton said his Truro City side were good value for their win over table-toppers Hemel Hempstead Town.
BRAKES PUT STOP ON BORO BATTLERS
SEPARATED only by goal difference before kick-off, these sides remain neck and neck in the embryonic table after playing out 90 minutes in the October sunshine that was a great advert for the division.
BOSS COTT'S GOT A REALLY GOOD THING WITH ROVERS
STEVE Cotterill hailed Forest Green Rovers’ first class performance as they produced a spirited comeback to topple fellow high-flyers Eastleigh at the Silverlake Stadium.
SKIPS STEER HEED'S SHIP
GATESHEAD captains of the past and present are playing a lead role in helping the National League club move on from the departure of FA Trophy-winning manager Rob Elliot.
FA CUP PREVIEW: SWEET! 'DREAM' DRAW IS CHANCE OF OUR LIFETIME
DAVE NORTHFIELD says minnows Biggleswade FC were like 'kids in a sweet shop' when they drew out York City in what he describes as the 'draw of a lifetime'.
PARKER'S HEART IS STILL AT HOME
FORMER England right-back Paul Parker has revealed he would never completely rule out a return to management – but says he would only do so for one of his beloved local clubs.
LOCALS RALLY TO REBUILD BRIDGE
WHEN committee members at Bamber Bridge set out to raise £30,000 to protect the club's future, they were apprehensive about the response they'd get.
RUTHLESS BEES FIND THEIR FEET
ASTERLING second-half performance resulted in league leaders Barnet brushing aside a Boston United outfit that led at the interval through Keaton Ward’s early strike.