National football centre gets thumbs-up

A national football centre has been given the go-ahead by the Football Association.

The board announced that its "preferred option" is for the centre to be built at Burton, Staffordshire, but has not ruled out basing it elsewhere - some FA directors want it to be closer to London.

FA chief executive Brian Barwick said: "I'm delighted that the board has given the green light for a national football centre.

"This is a major step forward for the project. There was general agreement within the board that a national football centre would be a major asset in the development of players, coaches and referees in this country."

The FA plans to use the centre as a training base for all England national and junior teams, and it would also house medical, exercise, science, coaching, video analysis and education departments.

The FA's director of football development, Sir Trevor Brooking, England Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce and national coach Steve Wigley all made presentations on the football development context for the project.

Brooking said: "Everyone involved in the FA's coaching and player development structures believes that a national football centre is vital to the long-term health of English football."

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