Regional Football Centre of Excellence Glanmire, Co Cork Vision Document May 2015
CONTENTS Foreword - John Delaney - Roy Keane Introduction Description of Project Site Location Partners in the Project Need for Project - FAI Requirement for Regional Centre - Need for Cork City FC Training Base Feasibility and Sustainability - Technical Feasibility - Capital - Operational - Design Conclusions Next Steps
Foreword One of the most enjoyable aspects of my position as CEO of the Football Association of Ireland is the opportunity it gives me to see the important roles that the organisation and plays in the development of young players and communities. There are three key ingredients that allow football to support the development of communities, and these are; People, Programmes and Facilities. Munster and Cork, in particular, is not short of people who have an interest in playing or developing the game. There is no shortage of talent either. In order to support them, the FAI has developed a range of high quality programmes that cater for those who want to play, coach, referee or administer the sport. These programmes encourage their participation and involvement in the game and allow them to achieve their full potential. The one missing ingredient in Munster is a facility that will provide a hub for the development of the game within the region. I am delighted to be working with Senator John Gilroy and the Trustees that own and operate Cork City FC in supporting the proposed development of a Regional Centre of Excellence in Glanmire. I have no doubt that it will support the next generation of players and coaches that will represent Munster at the highest levels within the game and will provide the local community with a facility they can be proud to utilise. John Delaney Chief Executive
Foreword I have witnessed, at first-hand, what it takes to develop young players. While there are significantly more opportunities today for young people to achieve within the sport of football than there was in my day, there are, nonetheless, challenges that need to be resolved if young players from Cork and Munster are to achieve at international level. For true potential to be developed appropriate facilities are a pre requisite. The best players and coaches need an environment in which to work effectively and achieve high levels of performance. Having played for and worked with a number of clubs in the UK and having witnessed facilities at other clubs internationally, I believe that the need for quality regional facilities to complement what the FAI is undertaking at its National Training Centre at Abbotstown is clear. There are no shortcuts to excellence and nothing would please me more to see high quality players and coaches from Munster being provided with the best opportunity to achieve their potential. Roy Keane Former International and current Senior International Team Assistant Manager
Introduction This document outlines a vision for a proposed new facility located in Glanmire, Co. Cork that will support the development of association football in the County of Cork and the wider Munster area. Specifically, the proposal provides for; The development, by the FAI, of a Centre of Excellence in the Munster region that will support the provision of training, participation and playing facilities for players of all ages, coaches, referees and administrators The provision of a sporting facility that will benefit the wider community The provision of training facilities for FORAS/Cork City Football Club. The FAI vision, supported by FORAS, will act as a catalyst to unify the different strands of the game in Munster and provide a venue that football people can easily access and be proud of. The county of Cork prides itself on its sporting achievement and has produced many great sports people who have performed on both the national and international stage including Roy Keane, Noel Cantwell, Denis Irwin, Colin Healy and Liam Miller to name but a few. One of its most famous sporting entities is Cork City Football Club, which has an enviable level of success within domestic Irish football and has produced many international players over the years. Centres of Excellence In 2014, the FAI began construction of its National Training Centre adjacent to its Headquarters at the National Sports Campus at Abbotstown, Dublin. This facility caters for Elite and International Squads and coaches providing them with a no excuse environment that will allow them to train to win. The National Sports Campus at Abbotstown
The FAI has identified the need for the development of Centres of Excellence to support the delivery of its soon to be launched Player Development Plan which will outline a sea change in how young players will be developed from the earliest stages. The plan will outline an objective to develop three centres of excellence which will be located at soon to be identified venues in the North West of the Country, the greater Leinster area and in the Glanmire area of Cork. These facilities will support the development of young players operating within the FAI s Regional Squad Structures and support the growth and development of football within the province. The project involves the creation of a Regional Centre of Excellence for Association Football in Munster, as well as a community facility for the people of Cork. The facilities will be used year round for the benefit of the football and local communities in the region. The scope of activities provided for in the Centre will also include a permanent home and training base for Cork City FC, whose training programmes provide for; Men's Senior Team U19 Team U17 Team Women s Senior Team Future teams as required In addition the Centre will provide for, Non Senior Team National League Matches FAI Coach Education Programmes FAI Emerging Talent Programmes A Cork ETB Local Training Initiative (Similar to ones at Carrigaline and Blarney) Local Club matches FAI Referee Training and meetings Recreational Football Activities Community Football Programmes Pre Season Training Camps for visiting teams
The proposed facility could also be utilised as a potential Training Camp Base for teams competing in the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament for which Ireland is hosting a minimum of four matches or indeed a training base for one of the teams competing in the proposed 2023 Rugby World Cup should the IRFU s bid be successful. The hosting of one of the teams during the tournaments would leave a lasting legacy on the venue and the surrounding region. In order to provide for all these activities the following facilities are proposed; Four Full Size Natural Turf Pitches (2 with Floodlighting) One Full Size Artificial Turf Pitch with Floodlighting Six Small Sided Floodlit Artificial Turf Pitches Two Small Sided Natural Turf Pitches Pavilion with small viewing area Classroom Gymnasium Goalkeeper Training Area Player and Referee Dressing Rooms Toilets Physiotherapy Room Medical Room Team / Video Room Laundry Room Kit Room Kitchen/Cafeteria Multi purpose Room Administration Offices Community Meeting Room Groundsman Storage Area
Site Location The site is owned by Cork County Council and consists of 13 hectares or 30.4 acres in area and is located in Glanmire, Co Cork, approximately eight kilometres north east of Cork City. It is strategically located near the Dunkettle Interchange, the main strategic access point to Cork City, with over a half a million population within one hours driving time of the site. The site is, therefore, very accessible, and located within a 10-minute drive from the M8 motorway and Cork city centre. The land is zoned in the Local Area Plan for small to medium industry. This zoning has been in place for the last 20 years or so. The site slopes gently away from the public road with good local infrastructure immediately available adjacent to the site. All necessary services can be easily accessed. The Site Brooklodge, Glanmire, Co. Cork. Site outlined in red.
Draft Masterplan Partners in the Project There are four partners in the project, Cork County Council, Central government, The Football Association of Ireland, and FORAS, the supporters club that owns and operates Cork City FC. Cork County Council is the local authority serving the area and the owners of the site. The Council has a long tradition of support for community and sports based projects, which support the development of local communities. The Council is requested to provide the land that is needed for the delivery of this project to the lead partner, the FAI, on a long term sporting lease. Stakeholders The FAI is the National Governing Body for the development of football in Ireland and has a mandate to promote and foster the development of the game. The FAI administers all levels of football from junior football to senior club football and the national team. The FAI will co-ordinate the allocation and usage of the facilities amongst the other users of the facility including Cork City FC which is owned and run by its trustees through FORAS, an Industrial and Provident Society registered in Ireland with the Registrar of Friendly Societies and is bound by Irish Company law. The FAI recognises that the development of such a facility can only arise when like-minded people come together. This includes, football stakeholders, the business community as well as organisations such as Cork County Council and key Departments within the Irish Government. Need for the Project Demographics The FAI recognise a need within Munster for high quality facilities that will act as a Regional Hub for the delivery of key player, coach and participation development programmes In Cork there are over 13,000 players registered and actively playing football. Over 9,000 of those are registered with the Cork Schoolboys / girls League and West Cork Children s League alone. In the wider area and located within 90 minutes of the proposed site there are an additional 18,000 registered adult players and over 20,000 youth players playing the game and there is a
clear need for the appropriate infrastructure to foster and develop this football community as well as supporting the work of the many coaches, administrators and referees also involved in the game. Nationally, there are over 450,000 participants in the game and with the development of the National Road Network a population in excess of 1.246 million people in Munster will be able to access the facility within 90 minutes. The FAI has developed a strong player pathway and coaching model for the sport and access to a network of quality training centres is central to the successful implementation of the its plans for the development of the game in Ireland at all levels. Need for Cork City FC Training Base A central aim of FORAS is the provision of facilities, creating and fostering links with local communities, the football community, business and other stakeholders. A further key tenet is raising the local, national and international profile of the Club and with it the city. A training base and permanent home for CCFC is therefore a crucial element in the aims of the Trust. Since its inception it has always been an objective of FORAS to develop a facility to support the development of young players and coaches from the City and County who may one day represent Cork City and Ireland. CCFC currently rents Bishopstown Stadium for their training programmes on a short term lease, and it is likely that this venue will have to be vacated in the near future to make way for the planned Cork Science and Innovation Park. This is a further catalyst for the delivery of such an initiative.
Feasibility and Sustainability Technical Feasibility There are a number of clear positives to the proposal. It achieves key aims of the four partners, Cork County Council, Central Government, The FAI, and FORAS / Cork City FC. There are a number or advantages to the site. It is well located, is of a size that allows for sufficient playing pitches and ancillary facilities and is well serviced. While the site is zoned for industrial use Cork County Council are requested to transfer the lands to the FAI to utilise for sporting purposes. Capital It is intended that the development of the project will be funded through capital investment by both Central Government and the FAI. Discussions have been held by both parties in this regard. Detailed costings relating to the development and operation of the facility have yet to be established, however, the estimated cost of developing the Centre to its full capacity is approximately Six million euro. This estimate is made up of the cost of earth moving and laying out and construction of playing pitches, construction of the central building and small stand to the main pitch, car parking, internal roads, floodlighting and provision of ancillary services. Operational In order to survive financially, the facility cannot just cater for elite players but will be multifunctional with a model that will have participation and high performance co-existing in the same environment. The benefits of this are that revenue streams from participation can support the sustainability of the model while participation players can see high-performance players training and will hopefully want to emulate them. The operating cost for the Centre is estimated to be in the region of 250,000 per annum. The figure is based on the FAI s experience of managing similar type facilities at the AUL Complex, Dublin and the projected operating costs of the FAI National Training Centre at the National Sports Campus. The main areas of costs would include; Pitch and Grounds Maintenance o Staff o Machinery o Consumables (Fuel, Pitch care products etc) Pavilion Maintenance and Operation o Maintenance / Cleaning / Administration Staff o Utilities
The operating costs of the Centre will be met by a range of measures including; An Annual FAI subvention Rental income from Cork City FC s various teams o Senior Team Training o U19 Training and Matches o U17 Training and Matches o Women s National League Team Training and Matches Commercial Income o Sponsors o Pitch-side signs o Naming Rights o Rental income from other users Design It is proposed that an innovative and visually striking multi-purpose facility will be built which reflects the history and achievement of football in Munster and celebrates Cork s love of sport. It is proposed that the facility will be organised so that while it is architecturally contemporary its design will defer to the sensitivities of the existing environment. Building height and mass will be varied to respond to precise local situation restraints and particular care will be taken to ensure that new buildings and pitches will defer to the highest standards of environmental sustainability.
Conclusions The experience of the FAI in developing similar facilities such as the National Training Centre at the National Sports Campus will ensure that the project will be developed to the highest design standards and maintained to the highest order. FORAS has been seeking a suitable location to develop a base and training grounds for Cork City FC over the last number of years. The need for such a facility is undeniable and because of the numbers involved in the game at all levels in the region there is a ready-made market for the facility. The development of the Centre of Excellence will: Provide much needed community and Elite sporting facilities in the Munster region Provide employment, both during and after construction Enhance a key community within Cork Be innovative, practical and sensitive to local needs Mindful of Local constraints Defer to the sensitivities of the existing environment Accrue considerable social capital in the county Provide excellent training facilities to support the development of players and the football workforce In addition, in keeping with the significant contribution the FAI already makes it will: Enhance the health of the people of Cork and beyond Be a sustainable community development Encourage inclusion and integration and Benefit the economy
Proposed Next Steps 1. Site Acquisition 2. Consultation meetings with County Planners 3. The following stakeholders will also be consulted; - Cork County Council and other relevant local agencies - The various FAI affiliates located in Cork - The Cork Education and Training Board - The local community 4. Appointment of Design Team 5. Apply for and obtain Planning Permission 6. Detailed Design Phase 7. Preparation and issuance of tender documents 8. Appointment of contactor 9. Commence work on the facility