Boss hails Motherwell FC’s new indoor training base

Mar 24 2010 by Andrew Weston, Wishaw Press

Ravenscraig Sports Complex

MOTHERWELL boss Craig Brown has announced that the club will train at the new Ravenscraig sports complex next season.

Brown and the club’s Head of Youth Development Gordon Young were invited to look round the £30m development last Tuesday and were impressed with what they saw.

Currently the Steelmen train at Toryglen Regional Football Centre in Glasgow when adverse weather conditions prevent them from training at Dalziel Park.

But the new Ravenscraig facility, just minutes from Fir Park, will be utilised by the first team and under-19s squads on its completion in the Autumn.

“We were invited to have a look at the development to see how it’s progressing and it was very interesting,” Brown said this week.

“It will be a wonderful facility for the whole of North Lanarkshire and we will most certainly use it rather than Toryglen as it is right on our doorstep.

“As well as the first team, the youths will use the facility too and that’s why Gordon came along with me to have a look.”

Among the many facilities on offer within the uniquely-designed building will be a full-size 3G surfaced indoor football pitch, a 100 metres running track, a fully-equipped gym, a treatment room and a lecture room.

Outdoors, there will be a full-sized football pitch and six five-a-side pitches.

Brown said: “There is a lot to be done yet but it already looks to be a fabulous facility.

“All the clubs in Lanarkshire will benefit enormously and the main thing is that the kids of the community will get the benefit of it.

“Facilities such as this have been sadly lacking for years and years compared with the Scandanavian countries, for instance.

“But now, in bad weather, kids and other members of the community will be able to enjoy their sport be it football, athletics, basketball or badminton.”

The new facility is also expected to play a vital role in the wider redevelopment of the Ravenscraig site, which has a new town and community planned.