Sir Trevor Brooking arrived between torrential rain storms to open the new PRESTIGE XT MUGA installed by DOE at Fulbourn near Cambridge.   

The entire population of the village appeared to have braved the weather to be there for the opening of this community project with 22 eager young players clamouring to be first on the PRESTIGE pitch as soon as the ribbon was cut.  

This is another of the many Football Foundation funded projects successfully completed by DOE over the last 3 years.   Many of the recent projects have chosen the PRESTIGE XT 3^rd generation football grass for its exceptional playing characteristics and durability.   The dreadful weather immediately prior to the opening also gave a perfect demonstration of the facility's "all weather" capabilities. 

One of the Football Foundation representatives present at the opening commented on the very high quality of the overall facility and its construction detail, a very pleasant compliment for the DOE team present and one which was echoed by the Fulbourn project team responsible for seeing the facility through from its conception some 3 years ago to final completion. 

Mr Mick Warwick, organiser of the Colts FC, who will be a major user of the facility, said "We will be delighted to show anyone our new football pitch or make arrangements for play testing and would like to record our satisfaction throughout the project with DOE SPORT.  From the initial stages and assistance with concepts and drawings, through the tendering stage and then construction, we have found the DOE team courteous, informative and a pleasure to work with and to have on our grounds.   We hope that we may have another opportunity to work with them again in the future." 

After cutting the ribbon, Sir Trevor held an impromptu coaching session with the 11 youngest players and noted that the girls' passing skills' were far more accurate if not quite as vigorous as those of the boys.   It is a sign of the times that 50% of the 22 young players were girls confirming their keen interest and the rapid growth of their participation in a hitherto predominantly male sport.