Sheffield Wednesday’s ‘significant investment’ in facilities which had lagged behind..
Sheffield Wednesday have confirmed “significant investment” to upgrade facilities at their Middlewood Road training ground and Hillsborough stadium, in what could be Danny Rohl’s legacy to the club.
When Rohl was considering his future after keeping the Owls in the Championship last summer, pushing for improved facilities was high on his list of demands.
Ironically, as the German looks set to move on to pastures new, the club have started work on that.
The club’s training ground, a short walk from Hillsborough, has not kept pace with the improving facilities elsewhere, but academy buildings, a new reception area, changing rooms for players and officials and a state-of-the-art playing surface are all being built ready for the new season.
The replacement of four changing rooms, officials room and a meeting room has started.
Planning approval has also been granted for the next phase, which includes a new function room, dining facility and area for parents.
The atstroturf pitch will be replaced by a “Pure PT” artificial surface, designed to be softer under foot without compromising player stability, ball roll, or grip, to be more durable, cheaper to maintain and more environmentally friendly.
It could perhaps help with the spate of calf injuries Rohl highlighted during the season.
PSV Eindhoven are the only other club in Europea to have a similar pitch.
The Owls are also carrying out the “largest investment in our playing surfaces for over a decade” at Middlewood Road and Hillsborough.
Next season will be the first full campaign under new head groundsman Lee Jackson.
Whether the investment persuades Rohl to see out his contract is doubtful after weeks of heavy hints that his future lays elsewhere with interest from the Premier League, Championship and German Bundesliga.
But whoever is in charge next season, this represents a much-needed step forward for a club whose infrastructure lagged behind far too many of its rivals since dropping out of the Premier League in 2000.
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