Work to prepare Bristol Rovers’ new training ground for the start of next season is underway.
Contractors arrived at The Colony on Monday morning to begin work on the Gas’ new training base, which will open in time for the start of the 2020/21 campaign.
Half of the 28-acre site, in Hortham Lane, Almondsbury, has been ploughed and diggers and trucks have begun moving earth where the main training pitch will be situated.
The other half of the field remains overgrown and untouched, with Rovers focusing phase one of the project on creating essential facilities for first-team training.
A gym, medical area, offices and other facilities are expected to be created swiftly after, though it remains to be seen if temporary structures will be utilised to get the training ground ready in time.
But it is undoubtedly another positive step forwards for Rovers.
The Gas are moving to their own training base following the expiration of their lease at Cribbs FC this summer.
It appeared certain Rovers would need to lease a training ground again for next season, with The Colony sitting undeveloped for years and the new season expected to begin in the next three months.
But in a surprise announcement last week the club announced the site would be up and running in time.
The club believes the long-awaited move to The Colony, which was acquired by the Al-Qadi family’s Dwane group in 2017, will translate into better results on the pitch due to an increase in professionalism.
The playing surfaces are set to be laid by MJ Abbot, the firm which installed the top-quality pitch at the Mem, and manager Ben Garner and his staff will hope it results in fewer in injuries and training days lost to bad weather.
Further phases of the project will see the club’s academy move to The Colony, once the first-team facilities are completed.
“This is a huge step forwards and something we have been working hard towards achieving since I joined the club. Having the right infrastructure and environment is a key part of our vision for the future,” Garner said last week.
“I am very grateful to our Club President Wael Al-Qadi for this substantial investment from both a financial and a personal perspective. Given the current economic climate this really highlights his commitment and dedication to building a successful football club.
“A great deal of effort and hard work has also been put in by Martyn Starnes and Shaun Roberts in being able to start phase one of the development.
“We very much look forward to starting work at our new training ground.”
