Bolton Wanderers are delighted to unveil a new indoor domed facility at the club’s Lostock Academy and training base which was purchased with funds provided by the Bolton Wanderers Development Association Lotteries.
The money used to buy the dome was raised from the club’s Goldline and Lifeline Lotteries alongside scratch tickets and the Golden Gamble half-time draw.
It was constructed as a necessity for Bolton Wanderers Football Club to retain its Academy Category Two status and the entire cost of the dome was £350,000, which would not have been possible without the support of everybody who has been involved in the club’s lotteries for many years.
The dome was manufactured in Holland with the blower units being made in Germany, while the project itself came to fruition between the BWDA and Global Maintenance who are based in Liverpool.
Speaking regarding the construction of the dome, Andrew Dean – Promotions Manager at Bolton Wanderers – said, “The benefit to this club is absolutely immense. It now means that we have an indoor facility where all of the youngsters aged eight and above from the Academy can train.
“Instead of them training outside in the winter months, the coaches can now focus solely on their sessions and not just keeping the youngsters warm which is a huge plus point.
“These youngsters are the club’s future and with them looking to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Josh Vela, Zach Clough and Rob Holding, they now have a superb venue to hone their talents in and hopefully become future stars of Bolton Wanderers.
“We are now looking to continue this however and it all stems from Nat Lofthouse’s famous rallying cry on the pitch at Burnden Park in 1982 when he appealed to the Bolton public to get behind what was then just the Lifeline scheme, in turn saving the club.
“The Lotteries have continued ever since and this initiative in particular is one which Nat would have been fully behind.”
He continued, “His legacy is what we are carrying on today and without your support, these projects at the training ground – including the dome, the new gym, the GPS units, the refurbishment of the restaurant and the floodlights on the artificial pitch – would not have been possible.
“They in turn give the manager Phil Parkinson and everybody connected with the backroom staff the ability to keep Bolton Wanderers at the forefront of modern technology and give everyone the best possible chance of making the club successful.
“We are appealing for people of all ages to join our schemes for just £1 or £2 a week - if you can commit to that, then you are helping the future development of Bolton Wanderers Football Club via the BWDA.”
First team manager Phil Parkinson echoed those sentiments by adding, “It is a truly fantastic facility which has been in the pipeline for some time, but now it is up and functioning, it will be of a huge benefit to the Academy and the football club as a whole.
“For Jimmy Phillips and his coaches, it will make the world of difference for them as they look to train up the next generation of players.
“It’s perfect for our scholars to do extra sessions and do so in an environment where their concentration levels are solely on the job at hand and not on outside factors.
“It will also be incredibly useful for our first team players to utilise the facility in the winter months when conditions are affected by adverse weather.
“For Bolton Wanderers Academy however, it is a huge lift and our thanks go out to all involved in raising the funds and setting the wheels in motion.”
All at BWFC and Bolton Wanderers Development Association would like to thank the Lostock Residents’ Association who have been extremely supportive in regards to the numerous projects at the club’s training base.
They would also like to thank the staff, agents and members of Bolton Wanderers Lotteries for their time, efforts and hard work over the years to make BWDA Lotteries the success that it is.
Fans aged over 16 have the opportunity to join Goldline for just £1 per week or Lifeline for £2 per week and as well as helping the club, you could win up to £7,500.
Alternatively, there is the option to buy a Golden Gamble ticket on matchdays or a BWFC Instant Win Scratch Card from your local store – every little helps and all monies go towards the funding of projects for Bolton Wanderers Football Club.
For more information and how to join, please telephone 01204 673777, visit www.bwfc.co.uk/fans/bwfc-lotteries or email lotteries@bwfc.co.uk.