Feature

Bournemouth extends deal with stadium sponsor, details plans for new training ground

AFC Bournemouth has extended its partnership with stadium sponsor, health and life insurance provider Vitality, while the English Premier League football club has also submitted plans for a new multi-million-pound training complex.

Bournemouth’s ground will continue to be known as the Vitality Stadium until 2020 as part of the new agreement. The stadium, formerly known as Dean Court, took on its current name in 2015 ahead of Bournemouth’s debut Premier League season.

Vitality also holds naming rights to three stands at the stadium: Vitality Steve Fletcher, Vitality East Stand and Vitality Main Stand.

Meanwhile, Bournemouth has announced that it has applied to the Borough of Poole for planning permission for the Canford Magna Golf Club. Bournemouth recently acquired the 57-acre site.

Bournemouth is planning a phased development of the site and it is hoped the complex will serve as a hub for the club’s first team, development squad, academy and pre-academy training operations and facilities.

The complex would feature 10 full-size pitches, three junior pitches, an indoor artificial playing surface, medical, fitness, sports science and rehabilitation facilities, administrative space and a press conference theatre.

Bournemouth said work would begin once planning application has been approved.

The news comes after the club last month confirmed that it was drawing up plans for a new stadium on the Kings Park site. With a capacity of 11,400, the Vitality Stadium is comfortably the smallest in the Premier League and a new stadium is seen as vital to aid the club’s growth.

Bournemouth chief executive Neill Blake said: “This is another hugely exciting development for the club, on the back of our recent announcement regarding a new stadium in Kings Park.

“Our existing training site has served the club very well, but will be developed on to accommodate our plans for the future.Therefore, it was important to find a suitable location in which we can build training facilities that are befitting of a Premier League club and provide everything we need to continue maintaining and enhancing the performance of elite footballers.

“The proposed training complex will not only offer first class facilities for Premier League footballers but also provide the perfect place to help develop the next generation of AFC Bournemouth stars.

“This development is another statement of intent from the club, and shows the commitment of the shareholders to the continued vision of progression for AFC Bournemouth, while maintaining stability.”

Image: Matthew Jackson