Aberdeen footballers are to benefit from improved facilities as a new centre opens its doors for the first time.
5ives Football Centre on Nelson Street welcomed their first players onto the pitches as the city centre business began trading.
Aberdeen-based charity the Alhikmah Foundation, part of the Masjid Alhikmah mosque, won a bid to transform a derelict area of Aberdeen into a modern football centre to provide improved facilities for athletes across the region.
To mark the milestone occasion, operators of the centre hosted a football tournament with all proceeding going to the Archie Foundation.
Nurture future sporting talents
Humza Malik, director of 5ives Football Centre and project team manager, said the centre will be a prime location for aspiring athletes to hone their craft.
He said: “We’re really excited to be part of this fantastic collaboration between ourselves and the Foundation. Football is a great way of bringing the community together – now more so than ever – and we can’t wait to welcome people on to the pitches.
“This new facility will allow Aberdeen to nurture future talents and enable them to have the right facilities to progress.”
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World-class facilities on offer
The new city centre facility will offer the community access to five, five-a-side football pitches and two seven-a-side football pitches.
The 1.5 acre space – formally home to disused playing fields and a pavilion owned by Aberdeen City Council – also features a world-class AstroTurf, on-site changing and showering facilities, LED floodlighting and 35 car parking spaces.
The existing pavilion has undergone refurbishment and a new road has been built to give access into and out of the development.
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The development had previously been given a working title of Urban Fields before being renamed 5ives Football Centre in respect of the management company overseeing the day-to-day operations.
Vow of thanks for public support
Foundation trustee, Aqeel Ajazi said: “We’ve had an incredible amount of support for this development since day one so to be finally opening our doors, having achieved exactly what we set out to, is a fantastic moment.
“It’s been a long and winding road, but we got here, with the support of our partners 5ives and the community, and we’re incredibly proud of what’s been created for the Aberdeen community at a time when sadly so many other projects have had to put the brakes on due to the impact of the pandemic – it’s a great accomplishment for every individual who has been part of the process.
“As we all know outdoor sports are going to be in high demand in the coming months so the timing for the complex opening couldn’t be better. Thanks to the central location – close to both the college and universities – we expect the pitches to be extremely popular with young and old, and a mix of individuals and club bookings.”