Works start on major revamp of vital community sports facility

Cheshire East Council and its football development partner Crewe FC have started a major revamp of King George V Playing Fields in Crewe.

The redevelopment scheme will delivering a 3G pitch and a refurbished changing pavilion, which will now incorporate a bar and social area. 

The £1.4m project is being funded by a £1.1 million grant from the Football Foundation with the remaining costs being met by the football club and section 106 monies – developer contributions used to deliver community infrastructure alongside new developments. Crewe FC has funded the refurbishment of the pavilion, which is nearing completion, in its entirety. 

The new 3G pitch is one of 35 to have been funded by the Lionesses Futures Fund – a £30 million cash injection from the Government and The FA delivered by the Football Foundation. The new facilities will prioritise access for women and girls through reserved peak-time slots and welcoming changing facilities to create a best-in-class experience.

Crewe FC already has many teams across all ages and abilities, featuring several women’s teams. The redevelopment will drive participation levels up even further while future proofing the club, providing football opportunities for more than 500 members and players, promoting and developing grassroots sporting opportunities in the local community. 

Councillor David Jefferay, Cheshire East Council’s chair of the council’s environment and communities committee, said:

“This is a fantastic time to be starting this project with people having recently enjoyed the success of the England women’s football team in Switzerland a couple of weeks ago.

“I am excited to see what this revamp will do for the participation levels of female sport in particular, which are on all-time high. It’s just the perfect time to be cracking on with this work.

“Working on a collaborative project like this is key to the success of delivering our playing pitches and open spaces strategy and I’m very grateful to the Football Foundation for their support, which means we can provide this much-needed community facility at no cost to the council tax-payer.”

Steve Parker, chair of Crewe FC, said:

“This is a landmark day for our club and the footballing community in Crewe. The start of work on the 3G pitch has been long anticipated and we cannot wait to see the pitch ready for use.

"The club has worked tirelessly not only to raise a significant proportion of the funding required but also to ensure that the necessary permissions are in place for the project to go ahead. It has not been an easy journey, but we can now start to look forward to welcoming the community into the fantastic new venue. 

"The opportunity to increase physical activity that is accessible for all is a very exciting one for Crewe FC. I would also like to thank the club committee, all players, coaches, parents and friends connected with their club for their patience, generosity and support enabling this development to get to this point.”

Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said:

“Thanks to the funding from the Premier League, The FA and Government, we’re delivering 35 pitches like this across the country to support the growing demand for football we’ve seen following the Lionesses’ inspirational success.”

“Like all Lionesses Futures Fund sites, the new 3G pitch at the King George V Playing Fields will provide a safe, accessible and welcoming place to play for the local community in Crewe to lace up their boots.” 

As well as the 3G pitch and refurbished pavilion, the revamp of King George V Playing Fields will see the provision of full wheelchair access, disabled changing areas, nursing parent facilities, wide corridors, gender-neutral change, flexible coaching, and catering areas.

Works started yesterday and are expected to complete in early 2026.