Thursday, 18th December, 2014
Former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson believes that the new 3G pitches installed at the Manchester Enterprise Academy will help to bring through the next generation of star players.
The Red Devils' most successful manager officially opened the five new artificial pitches that have been newly installed in the academy.
A grant of more than £100,000 from the Premier League and the FA was good enough to cover the cost of the pitch installation.
"These new 3G playing surfaces at the Manchester Enterprise Academy are first-class", Ferguson was quoted as saying by Premier League's official site.
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"They will get more people playing the game and help to develop local talent.
"Over the years I have opened several of these types of pitch that the Football Foundation has funded with cash from the Premier League, The FA, the Government and Sport England.
"Clearly playing football on these types of surface is going to be a far more attractive prospect for youngsters than a quagmire, so they help to get more people playing the game purely for pleasure.
"But it will also help youngsters in this part of Manchester hone their skills and improve their technical development, which would certainly be hampered by having to play on a boggy, waterlogged pitch.
"The Manchester United Foundation will also be able to use this site to deliver their excellent outreach programmes."
The venue will also provide training facilities to local clubs like Wythenshawe Town, Sporting St John JFC and Benchill Celtic FC.
Ferguson, who himself had the privilege of managing some of Manchester United's golden generation of players, believes that the new training facility will prove to be useful to nourish such talents in the near future.
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