The Football Association's national football centre near Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, where England teams train and coaches and referees are developed.
St George's Park is the Football Association's national football centre, at Needwood near Burton upon Trent in Staffordshire. Wikipedia describes it as the base for all FA coaching and development work and the training and preparation ground for England's national teams, from the senior men's and women's sides to youth, disability and futsal teams. The site has 12 training pitches, including a replica of the Wembley surface, and a full-size indoor pitch. It also has hydrotherapy suites, biomechanics and training gyms, video analysis rooms, coaching and education suites and medical and sport science facilities, plus hotel accommodation run by Hilton.
The idea of a national centre goes back decades. The FA bought the 350-acre site in 2001, and Howard Wilkinson led the early plans, modelled on France's Clairefontaine centre. Plans were put on hold in the mid-2000s and revived in 2008, and the centre was officially opened on 9 October 2012 by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Culture Secretary Maria Miller called it a landmark moment for football and said good coaching is vital for a sport to grow. Its chair, David Sheepshanks, said the aim was to make it a preferred sporting destination for coaches, players, administrators and officials. We have not found a formal values statement.
The park sits in Staffordshire countryside, about 120 of its 330 acres built on at the time of one report. England teams are not the only users. Other sports and clubs have used it, including England rugby union and rugby league squads, Burton Albion, the Great Britain cerebral palsy squad and the Nike Academy. When it opened, the League Managers Association committed to making it its headquarters, and the Perform sports medicine and rehabilitation centre, part of Spire Healthcare, was based on site. Government and the National Lottery contributed to opening facilities to local communities and schools.
A 2012 magazine piece about a typical day at the park described the site as active all year, with groundsmen keeping the pitches in top condition and even matching the surface for England games overseas. The FA's head of grounds and estates, Alan Ferguson, said, It's never quiet, it's a good busy and we enjoy it. The atmosphere was described as busy but enjoyable, with a strong focus on high standards. Those are one organisation's and one writer's descriptions from the early years, so they show a feel for the place rather than a current picture.
The centre needs football coaches and educators, referee and administrator trainers, sport scientists and medical staff, analysts, groundsmen, event and hospitality teams, hotel and catering staff, and the FA's technical experts who have offices on site. If you like football but your talent is science, teaching, grounds work or running events, there are roles here that are not about playing. The FA's careers pages list current openings, and the park's own site covers visits and courses.
Website: www.englandfootball.com/england/st-georges-park
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