Essex FA were recently invited to a ‘Spade in the Ground’ event at the new triple 3G hub site, Parsloes Park, and as a key stakeholder involved in the initial bid to the Football Foundation back in 2018, are eagerly anticipating it’s opening later this year.

Essex FA London Borough Football Development Officer Jake Ling, was in attendance to view the progression of the site and see the recent construction of the steel framework of the Hub, providing a visual for how the grassroots football community will enjoy the new facility once it’s opened.

Barking & Dagenham deputy council leader Saima Ashraf and former Manchester United, Tottenham & West Ham United forward Teddy Sheringham were also in attendance to view the new £12million football and sports facility.

Cllr Ashraf explained “This will offer state-of-the-art facilities for the local and wider community. We have a rich connection to football, the birthplace of England’s only World Cup winning manager & captain. So, it’s only right that we have a sports hub that hopefully creates more success stories.”

Essex FA Football Development Officer Jake Ling had this to say after attending the event “It was brilliant to see the site really start to take shape. Having been to the site back in early 2022 when two of the three 3G carpets had just been laid, to see the steel framework of the hub now built, it gave a great visual to how special this is going to be.”

He went on to add “The grassroots football community in the local and surrounding areas are really going to benefit from this new hub. It will provide new facilities to support the growth and sustainability of grassroots football in Essex across the Male, Female & Disability pathways. Which in-turn supports our Moving Forward strategy in creating a united grassroots environment which delivers opportunity for all.”

Once the construction has finished on the hub, the new facility will offer three full size FA 3G pitches, one of which will meet STEP 5 ground grading requirements as well as;

• 6 community changing rooms
• 2 National League System changing rooms
• 2 Match Officials changing rooms
• 2 Gym changing rooms
• A Gym
• Dance Studio
• Classroom for educational programmes
• Café for local users
• 15 Grass pitches to be improved and maintained

The hub is planned to open in Winter 2023.