After what seems like forever, we are very excited to announce that we shall soon have access to the brand-new 3G facility at Burgate School. Following recent meetings with the school and contractors, a completion date had been set for Thursday 22nd February although this current rain has added a few extra days to complete the ‘sand dressing’ stage. This means that it is likely we shall have just two more weeks of training on the front field at Burgate and beneath the mobile floodlights. But as soon as we get the green light, we are ready to go. Please find below information on training, matchdays and some guidance around the use of the 3G to keep you informed ahead of it's first use by the club.
So, what does this mean going forward...
Training
Training will commence on the 3G for ALL teams and training groups at the start of March. Exact details in terms of your child’s training slot will be shared with managers and coaches shortly and this then passed to you on the WhatsApp group for that team. Some tweaks to timings have been made to maximise the use of the 3G whilst ensuring teams continue to train on their usual days. The club has committed to using the 3G 6-9pm, Monday-Wednesday, and will be looking to grow teams and expand different age groups in the coming months and into next season. Initially, teams will have up to half pitch but as and when new teams form or the need to share space arises, younger teams may revert to the standard quarter pitch space. This is more than sufficient and will seem light years away from what we have had up until now this season.
Matchdays
The club has an agreement in place with Burgate that the 3G will be available to teams from 9am-1pm every Saturday with access to the grass pitches for U11s and upwards also an option. The 3G pitch is marked up in order to provide 5v5, 7v7, 9v9 and 11v11 matches (the appropriate sized goals are also in place).
Each game category has been assigned a specific space and time frame as per below;
5v5 - quarter pitch, 1hr slot
7v7 - half pitch 1hr slot
9v9 - half pitch 1hr 30min slot
11v11 - full pitch 2 hour slot
With fixtures being different and changing each week, the 3G schedule will be drawn up on a week-by-week basis, starting with the youngest age groups first. As a result, all U7-U10 matches will be played on the 3G and U11-U18 games on 3G/grass depending on scheduling. Fair access and opportunity will be given to every team/manager to ensure every player benefits from this fantastic new facility. Equally, many teams will prefer to play on grass - the hope will be that we lose far fewer games to adverse weather (if any at all).
What now?
There is a strict code of conduct in terms of footwear for the new 3G. Attached are the rules and guidance as such. These are set by Burgate and in line with the guidance offered from TigerTurf and is paramount to ensuring the longevity of the surface. NB: No metal studs, no dimpled or flat-soled shoes, and footwear must be clean (no muddy boots!) This is true for all teams, managers and parents who volunteer to referee or run the line. Failure to adhere to these rules will mean no access to the 3G.
We thank you for your patience and understanding throughout the past few months as we recognise the frustration and challenge it has brought - this has been felt not only by parents and players but by club coaches and volunteers, many of whom also give their time to sit on the club’s committee. As a way of thanking you all for that patience, we are very happy to announce that courtesy of a substantial financial sponsorship from SG Marine Surveyors, the club will be providing every registered player with a branded Fordingbridge Turks training top at their first training session on the 3G.
Thank you all, and we look forward to seeing you soon.
