GET MOVING
Game changer
Less than a year after work began on site , some of the borough ’ s talented young footballers are getting the chance to play on new artificial pitches at Rectory Park in Northolt .
An area of the park next to Ruislip Road has been transformed to provide a range of sports facilities , including floodlit pitches that will become especially useful in the dark , winter months . The work was carried out through a partnership of Middlesex Football Association and Ealing Council .
Celtic Youth FC trying out the pitches
A clubhouse includes a café bar and kitchen ; and also community rooms that can be used for holding classes such as yoga , pilates and other events . They will be available for hire .
The two 3G pitch areas are marked out in different colours for different football age-groups or preferences : For teams of five , seven , nine or eleven players per side ; and can be divided by ‘ curtain ’ nets so that several games can take place at a time . One team that has already tried the pitches out is Celtic Youth Football Club , which has more than 180 members aged between six and 15 .
“ Our home is Brentside playing fields , which are great , but they are traditional grass pitches and they aren ’ t floodlit ,” said Albert Tamou , the club ’ s chairman . “ At the height of the football season , in the winter , it ’ s too dark to play in the evening after school and , as soon as the weather is wet and wintry , the pitches become muddy and waterlogged . We practice twice a week and have matches on Sundays , so that ’ s a lot of hours to be outside . It ’ s great to have this facility on our doorstep , giving us some more options for our training in the winter .
“ There are also small , covered seating areas and pavilions to give shelter to the parents of our younger players who stand outside in the rain and the freezing cold , week in and week out .”
Celtic Youth FC has 15 teams competing in the Harrow Youth League and is an official partner of Middlesex FA , which will use the facility as its headquarters and operate it in partnership with the council .
Rectory Park was the first project in London to benefit from funding as part of the Football Association ’ s Parklife community football hubs programme ; and also received funding from London Marathon Charitable Trust . For more information visit www . middlesexfa . com
around ealing June 2018 25