Pompey training ground work on track

Pompey's Academy players train at Roko Picture: Paul JacobsPompey's Academy players train at Roko Picture: Paul Jacobs
Pompey's Academy players train at Roko Picture: Paul Jacobs
POMPEY's training ground transformation remains on course.

The Blues are on track to have the club’s two new Academy pitches operational towards the end of the year.

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Chief executive Mark Catlin believes the fruits of the incredible fan-funding effort will be ready to be seen by ‘October or November’.

Supporters raised a superb £270,000 through the Tifosy scheme via 5,494 different funders – blowing all expectations out of the water.

Work began on the project earlier this year, with pitch drainage one of the first issues to contend with.

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Now the focus is on top soil and seeding of the pitches, which is nearing completion.

The intention is for the pitches to serve as a new home for the Academy at Pompey’s Roko base.

Last season they operated from Furze Lane in Milton.

Catlin explained everything is moving forward as anticipated.

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He said: ‘All the infrastructure work has been done now on the additional two pitches.

‘We’re now in the final stages of the top soil and seeding.

‘They should be ready for use before the end of the year.

‘We are hopefully looking at October or November time.

‘That’s when we are looking for them to come on line with us.’

After their nomadic existence, the Blues moved into their Roko home at the end of 2014.

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The work carried out before and since that date has established it as one of the best facilities for clubs in the bottom two tiers of the Football League.

That has made a mark, with Paul Cook’s summer signings impressed with their new working conditions.

Catlin explained that investment is a process which will continue there.

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‘It’s a fantastic facility and we are continuing to improve it,’ he added.

‘There’s more and more work going on all the time.

‘We are just looking to continually reinvest.

‘There’s a lot of decorative work taking place and we’re also looking to continually improve the quality of the pitches.’

Meanwhile, Pompey’s new home kit will go on sale later this month.

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The Sondico-made strip will be unveiled on Thursday, July 21.

The new away and third kits are set to be launched on Thursday, August 4.

Pompey fans took part in an online survey last year to decide the design and colour of the new kits.

– JORDAN CROSS