Sheffield City Council and Sheffield Hallam University are developing a long-term partnership with the goal of creating a lasting legacy that will benefit athletes in the city. The University will take on the management and maintenance of Woodbourn Road Athletics Stadium under a long lease from the Council.
Tony Minichiello with Jessica Ennis-Hill
Under the proposed plan the council will agree to provide financial support by way of an athletics development fund to help new athletes entering the sport. The money will also be used to provide a boost for club athletics.
The proposal has already been favorably received by the city’s main sports clubs, the City of Sheffield and the Hallamshire Harriers. It also has been fully endorsed by Sport England and England Athletics.
The stadium is undergoing a refurbishment, thanks to grant money provided by Sport England. The work will be completed by the end of September, when the controversial closure of the Don Valley Stadium takes place.
Sheffield Hallam has a reputation for having a strong sport and physical activity teaching programme. Students are encouraged to participate in sports while attending the University.
This development represents the latest in a number of investments in sport facilities, including a sport campus at EIS Sheffield, the sports ground at Bawtry Road, and the installation of the Olympic hockey pitch at Abbeydale Sports Club.
Mark Swales, the director of estates and facilities at Sheffield Hallam, commented recently that the plans will “secure the city’s Olympic legacy for generations of athletes to come.”
However, many feel that the revamped facility will never enjoy the same profile as the site where Jessica Ennis-Hill began her career. Toni Minichiello, the coach of the Olympic heptathlon champion, has expressed doubts about whether Woodbourn Road is an adequate replacement for Don Valley.
“It just feels like Jess is being pushed out of the city,” Minichiello told the Sheffield Telegraph.
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