It is with sincere regret that the Leicestershire & Rutland County FA is forced to announce the indefinite closure of the 3G playing facility, located within the premises of its Holmes Park headquarters.

A recent independent inspection has identified a number of elements within the facility that are classified as unsafe to those who use it. With the safety of all grassroots players of paramount importance, the Leicestershire & Rutland County FA has been left with no option but to make the facility unavailable for use.

Despite the facility being maintained to a very high standard over the past five years by external partners, the substantial age of the pitch has resulted in irreparable damage to the playing surface which was identified in the recent inspection.

The immediate aim of the County FA is to work with clubs using the facility regularly to identify and organise an alternative pitch for training. Whilst the Association appreciates that like-for-like facilities will be difficult, it hopes that pitches of a high standard will be available to ensure players are able to train in a safe environment.

Unfortunately, this announcement means that the 3G pitch will no longer be available for hire.

Once regular users of the facility are provided with access to a new pitch, the Leicestershire & Rutland County FA’s attention will turn to developing a plan for the long-term future of the 3G facility, which will be put together following a thorough review of the options available.

Kelly Ellis, Interim Chief Executive Officer at Leicestershire & Rutland County FA, said: “Whilst the closure of our 3G playing facility is a disappointing decision to have to make, it’s one that has been made with the safety of all players using it in mind and that is of the utmost importance. In addition to a number of teams that regularly train on the pitch, Holmes Park hosts a number of youth tournaments and Walking Football sessions and our priority is to ensure we don’t see any player injured or hurt badly due to issues involving the safety of our 3G pitch."

“We’ll work closely with those teams that used the pitch regularly to try and find an alternative venue, as we appreciate the difficult timing of this decision with many teams in the early stages of their season – or about to embark on their winter training.”

If you are affected by the closure of Holmes Park’s 3G pitch, please contact info@leicestershirefa.com