Steyning set to officially open new 3G surface

Steyning Town Football Club will play the first game on the new 3G surface at their Shooting Field home on Saturday.
Steynings new 3G surface will host its first games this weekendSteynings new 3G surface will host its first games this weekend
Steynings new 3G surface will host its first games this weekend

Work has been completed on the £435k state-of-the-art pitch and this weekend marks the official opening.

Having not played at home in Southern Combination League Division 1 this season, Town entertain Seaford on Saturday (2pm) for their first game on the surface.

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Steyning’s reserve side then host Arundel later in the day, with a 4.30pm kick-off.

A bumper weekend then sees Steyning’s under-18 team welcome a same-age-group side from Premier League Chelsea on Sunday for the official opening.

A number of Football Association and Southern Combination League dignitaries are expected at the ceremony, which gets under way at 1.30pm.

As well as the clash with Chelsea, the FA Cup will also be on show at The Shooting Field, offering the chance for fans to have their picture taken with the trophy.

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Steyning chairman Richard Woodbridge believes it will be a momentous weekend for all involved with the club.

He said: “We have had so many messages of goodwill from local people in recent weeks. Every time I am at the club, someone new pops their head in to see what is going on and say how excited they are.

“The facility has been under utilised for too many years now and it will be great to see faces back in the clubhouse and on the pitch. So many people have played their part for this to happen.”

The Wilson Memorial Trust, a charitable trust based in Steyning, which was set-up by the late Ted and Margaret Wilson, has funded a large part of the project.

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Along with the trust, HSBC bank and some additional private investment has managed to ensure Steyning now have a state-of-the-art 3G surface.

Chair of the Wilson Memorial Trust Simon Robinson is pleased the group have backed this scheme.

He said: “We are delighted to be supporting this fantastic project and to see the way the community has got behind this project has been amazing.

“The benefits for the local people will be enormous and this is exactly what we had in mind when we agreed our funding proposal.”

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Having overseen ten league games all away from home to date, Steyning manager Gerry Murphy is looking ahead to taking charge of his first game at The Shooting Field.

He said: “It is going to be a big day for the club and all the people behind the scenes who made this possible.

“I would like to say a huge thank-you from both myself and the players and I hope we can continue the good start we have had to the season on the pitch.”

Any enquiries with regards to hiring either Steyning’s 3G surface or clubhouse should be sent to [email protected]

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