23rd Jun 2021
It was all smiles at Wimborne Town FC’s New Cuthbury ground yesterday as S&C Slatter handed over the club’s new cutting-edge 3G Training Pitch. The pitch was officially opened by Wimborne’s Mayor, Kelly Webb, alongside Ken Stewart (Club President), Tony Grant (Club Chairman) and Graham Bell (Commercial Director).
The 3G training pitch handover marks the completion of works for S&C Slatter at New Cuthbury, having also produced the design specification for the facility, with our sister company White Horse Contractors handing over the club’s natural turf stadia pitch in November last year.
Wimborne Town FC’s new home on Parmiter Drive, affectionately known as The New Cuthbury, has been a dream come true for the club, whose former pitch featured an ‘infamous’ slope with no permanent training facility on site.
Realised in part through developer relocation, the new facility was designed by our dedicated Design and Planning Division to FA’s Sports Ground Grading C, suitable for the National League System, ready to support Wimborne Town FC in their future league ambitions. The ground boasts the brand new 3G training pitch and natural turf stadia pitch as well as a new club house, car park and spectator areas.
A small outdoor ribbon-cutting ceremony took place at the entrance to the 3G Pitch on Tuesday 22nd June, with Club Chairman Tony Grant joined by Wimborne Minster’s Mayor Kelly Webb, as well as additional representatives from S&C Slatter and the club’s board and coaching teams.
Speaking at the pitch opening, Tony Gates, Club Chairman commented:
“The 3G completes what is a fantastic facility for the club as well as the local community. There’s nothing like this in Wimborne and we’re very lucky we’ve been able to achieve this. It’s been fantastic working with S&C Slatter. The process has been so smooth, we barely knew they were here it was so well managed!”
Across a total of 22 teams within Wimborne Town FC, players of all ages and abilities will benefit from the new 3G pitch, for both training and match play. The first and development teams will train on the pitch twice a week, protecting the natural turf stadia pitch for optimum performance on match days, with the club’s academy utilising the 3G pitch daily for player development.
With 3G pitches suitable for 60-80 hours of usage per week, the club is also set to generate revenue through pitch hire, with the club already “over 75% booked” before opening, ready to serve the local community.
The town’s mayor, Kelly Webb, who officially opened the pitch, noted how the facility boosts Wimborne Town’s sporting offering:
“There’s a great strength in sport in Wimborne already with success in rugby and athletics. This new pitch is phenomenal and a welcome addition to our leisure facilities locally – we have a lot to offer for a small town!”
The new 3G pitch means that the club now has the high-quality facilities required to train and play on one site, which they were unable to do at their old ground. During the winter months, the club would hire 3G pitches in the local area to train, which was inconvenient and costly for the club. First team manager James Stokoe explained: “Twice a week we’d be at two different locations training, which was hard work.”.
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, James sang the praises of the new 3G and natural turf pitches:
“The whole place is just fantastic, we’re really lucky to be here now thanks to the hard work from the board of investors and Graham Bell especially – personally I can’t thank everyone enough.”
Experienced in football club relocation, S&C Slatter were thrilled to construct the new 3G Pitch, with our design, construction, surfacing & civils teams all delivering works on site alongside our group partners White Horse Contractors.
Across The Slatter Group, we offer a one-stop-shop solution for clubs wishing to improve their grounds. From initial design and planning through to natural, hybrid and artificial turf pitch construction, ancillary works, civil engineering and specialist maintenance, clubs can rely on one dedicated point of contact from concept to completion.
We were delighted to be in attendance for the ribbon-cutting ceremony and hear first-hand the impact the new facility has already had – and how it will support the club’s ambitions for the future. With the first team excited to have their first training session on the new 3G pitch this Thursday, we look forward to cheering them on in their first pre-season friendly on July 6th!
S&C Slatter are the leading contractor for non-league football 3G Stadia Pitches.
We have delivered more pitches to the highest levels of non-league football than any other.
We’re committed to providing first-class pitches for top performance, maximum use and longevity, with the certifications and success rate to prove it.
With in-house expertise across design, planning, construction and maintenance, get in touch now to discuss your needs. Call 01635 34521 or email info@sandcslatter.com
