February 22 – Premier League Liverpool are to spend £50 million on the development of a new academy and first team training site, moving from its famed first team training ground at Melwood where the team has trained since the 1950s.
The new training ground project will be a joint venture between the club and Knowsley Council and will develop the Kirkby Academy. The club will purchase additional land for the project. The site of the old Melwood training ground in West Derby will be redeveloped with 160 houses.
Both the Kirby and Melwood sites require planning permission and there will be a period of public consultation. If given the go-ahead the new training facility would be completed by 2019.
Andy Hughes, Liverpool’s chief operating officer, said: “We recognise that Melwood has played a significant role in the club’s success and forms an important part of our history,” he said.
“However, [it is] limited in space and is unable to accommodate our longer term ambitions, which is why we are exploring options on the academy site.”
As well as providing a new state-of-the-art training facility for the Liverpool first team squad and academy players, the development will also bring improved facilities for the local community and local football clubs.
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