'A space for growth, unity and opportunity' - Three Bridges officially open new 3G pitch

The pitch was developed for the community and supported by the Football Foundation, Sussex County Football Association and Crawley Borough Council.

All the club’s teams – men’s, women’s and youth section – and all committee and staff members got together for a brilliant picture on the day.

Deputy Mayor Gilly Hart and chairman Paul Faili gave speeches before the team’s match with Beckenham, which they won 6-2.

Cllr Hart said: “It's lovely to see so many here and it’s the end of what has been a long, hard process that everybody involved in has worked so hard.

"It's been a joy, a privilege and a pleasure to work with Paul, Chris and all the guys at Three Bridges.

"What you see is a lot of hard work, a lot of heartache, a lot of headaches but a lot of commitment from every single person who is involved.”

Faili said: “As many of us know Crawley has had its fair share of challenges so when something is positive and this exciting lands in the heart of our community, it truly is something to celebrate.

"This pitch isn't just a surface to play on, it's a space for growth, unity and opportunity and one of the most wonderful things about this new facility is the breadth of people it serves and at Three Bridges FC alone, we have 297 children signed on to our club from every corner of the community, from all kinds of social and ethnic backgrounds and now thanks to this pitch we can continue to give them a place to play and to grow and to belong.

"Beyond their own club, this 3g pitch opens its arms to charities and other community groups too.”

You can see a gallery showing the complete process from grass to 3G by Peter Mansfield-Clarke MBE – taken between August and December 2024 – on this Flickr page.