Ella Toone returned to her roots to officially unveil the ‘Ella Toone Pitch’ named after the England and Manchester United forward.
The new facilities are part of the new £6.2 million William Fosters Hub in Ince, just a short distance from Ella’s hometown of Tyldesley, and the complex is due to open this summer.
Toone said: “It feels just like yesterday that I was a kid kicking a ball around just a few miles from here but already so much has changed in the women’s game. It’s so exciting to see more and more women and girls wanting to play football and the amazing new facilities here will allow them to do just that.
“As a Lioness I feel a responsibility to be a role model for the next generation and it’s such an honour to do that with a pitch named after me in my hometown. I’m so grateful to the Football Foundation for the opportunity to inspire local girls to fall in love with the game just like I did.”
The Ella Toone Pitch is one of 23 Football Foundation-funded pitches that will be named after each of the Lionesses to honour their UEFA Women’s Euros victory in the summer of 2022, in the hope of inspiring the next generation of women and girls to get involved with the fastest-growing game.
The Lioness legacy pitches form a key part of the Football Foundation’s HERe to Play campaign, which celebrates the charity’s commitment to delivering facilities that provide equal access to women and girls playing football across the country. The campaign launched earlier this year with the opening of the Jill Scott Pitch in Jarrow.
The site, which will include a total of two full-size 3G football turf pitches, a changing pavilion with a community café and social space, was made possible by a £3.7 million grant from the Football Foundation and £2.5 million in funding from Wigan Council.
Robert Sullivan, the CEO of the Football Foundation, said: “Ella and the Lionesses are a great showcase of how important quality grassroots facilities are for the women’s game. Many of the UEFA Women’s EUROs squad, including Ella, started their pathway to stardom on facilities funded by the Football Foundation. It’s vital the next generation have access to great places to play.
“Thanks to investment from the Premier League, The FA and Government, the Football Foundation is directing more money than ever into supporting the grassroots game. Every one of the facilities we fund will provide equal access for women and girls. That means providing safe, accessible and inclusive environments for women and girls from their journey to the site right up to their first step onto the pitch.”
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer added: “We are continuing to celebrate the success of the Lionesses - with the ‘Ella Toone Pitch’ enabling the generation of women and girls inspired by them to get active and involved.”
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