SWINDON Town are exploring the possibility of developing a state-of-the-art training centre facility on their Twelve Oaks site in Highworth with the help of money from the Nigel Eady Trust.

The new facilities will include gymnasium, treatment rooms and lecture/training rooms for the first team squad and academy players, with grass training pitches and a floodlit 4G artificial surface pitch, as well as offices for the day-to-day running of the club.

Swindon currently train at Royal Wootton Bassett Town’s Gerard Buxton site, with the club having only trained once a week in Highworth this season.

However, having already held talks with Highworth Council, the club are confident that the facility could be developed over the next 24 months.

“Nigel Eady left a significant sum of money in his will to be invested for the benefit of STFC and the community,” said chairman Lee Power.

“We are therefore delighted that this could be used to develop facilities that will be of huge benefit not only to the football club but also to the local community. The facilities to be created at Twelve Oaks will be a great asset to Highworth.

“We are working closely with the Nigel Eady Trust and the local community.

“ We will be developing our proposals in greater detail after further consultation with local people and clubs and organisations over the next few weeks.

“We want this new training centre and pitch facilities to be of benefit to the local clubs as well as Swindon Town.

“This will be the first time that Swindon Town have ever had their own state-of-the-art training centre.”

The new training centre will include up to seven grass pitches and an all-weather 4G floodlit pitch, which will be the main element for community use.

The training centre will be housed in a new building, with the existing Twelve Oaks Clubhouse converted and refurbished to provide café/restaurant facilities.

An improved access and car parking facilities will also be provided, with the site undergoing extensive re-contouring and landscaping.

Former Swindon Town goalkeeper, Fraser Digby, who was tasked with finding the club a site for their new training ground and will be heavily involved with the future project said: “This is a fabulous opportunity for the club.

“We have never had our own dedicated training centre and this will be a massive step forward, particularly for the academy and younger players.”