Photo left to right; David Griffiths (Chairman, Nottingham Hockey Centre), Mark Swatton (Project Manager, Agripower) and Kevin Fear (Headmaster, Nottingham High School).
Nottingham High School is delighted to announce that it is building two synthetic hockey pitches at Nottingham Hockey Centre. This investment has been made as the School continues to expand following its move to co-education in 2015 and its desire to develop hockey as a major sport for girls and boys.
Nottingham Hockey Centre, on University Boulevard, is set to become the largest hockey centre in the world outside the Netherlands thanks to a £2 million investment from Nottingham High School. The Centre, which is already regarded as a world class venue, will add two further synthetic hockey pitches, bringing the total number on site to six by the end of the year. Whilst this “superclub” concept is common in the Netherlands, it will the first time such a concentration of pitches has been developed anywhere else.
The increased capacity that the new pitches will bring will allow Beeston Hockey Club, the English Premier Division club based at Nottingham Hockey Centre, and the High School to establish an ambitious outreach programme for hockey in the community, with a particular focus on local schools.
This investment brings 113 years of history full circle: Beeston Hockey Club was founded in 1907 by former students of Nottingham High School. The land at Highfields was left in trust for the people of Nottingham by Jesse Boot, founder of Boots, for the purpose of sport and recreation. Jesse was also a former pupil at Nottingham High School. The new partnership will ensure that the site continues to be a beacon for Nottingham sport.
The project has the full support of Nottingham City Council, England Hockey, Sport England and the Governors of Nottingham High School, who all agree that the enhanced infrastructure at Nottingham Hockey Centre will bolster the reputation of both Nottingham High School and Beeston Hockey Club.
Kevin Fear, Headmaster of Nottingham High School commented: “We are delighted to be further enhancing our excellent sporting facilities through this investment. We strongly believe that alongside our excellent academic provision we have a really strong sporting offer and this new facility, together with our Sports Field at Valley Road, enable us to offer our students fantastic facilities in which to develop their sporting aspirations.”
“We look forward to working with the Nottingham Hockey Centre in developing an outreach programme to enable local schools and clubs also to make use of this new facility and we are proud to be part of the largest hockey centre in the UK.”
David Griffiths, Chairman of Nottingham Hockey Centre commented: “It has always been our goal to make Nottingham a city known for its hockey – with the construction of these new pitches and Beeston Hockey Club’s matches featuring weekly on Notts TV, we are well on the way to achieving this. I’m particularly looking forward to the results the schools outreach programme will bring to the city and introduce new people to the sport.
“Since I became Chairman of Nottingham Hockey Centre in 2011, I’ve had the unmitigated pleasure of upgrading the playing surfaces of the three existing pitches which were installed at the turn of the millennium, as well as seeing the construction of the University of Nottingham water-based pitch. I’m absolutely confident that Nottingham High School’s investment of two further pitches will enhance Nottingham’s position as a prominent European hockey centre, and raise the profile and importance of club hockey in England for years to come.”
