By Mark Sugar
June 16 2004

Royals Director of Football Nick Hammond believs the club's new training ground will be one of the best in the country.Work is already underway on the new land,formerly owned by the MOD.The players return to training in 2 weeks at Bradfield College. Reading Director of Football Nick Hammond belives the club's new training ground at Arborfield Garrison will be one of the best in the country.

Work is already underway on 25 acres of land,formerly owned by the Ministry of Defence and Royals are planning to move there from the end of July,after the pre season tour to Sweden.

The players return to pre-season training at the end of June and will begin training at Bradfield College.They are set to be put through a fitness scheme by Sports Scientist Niall Clark.

Hammond told the Reading Evening Post on Monday;

"It’s absolutely crucial in terms of our long-term strategy in becoming a Premier League club."

"There will be a total of 10 football pitches – 6 full-size,2 three-quarter-length and 2 small pitches plus a training grid and a sports science area."

"One of the main pitches is a replica of the Madejski Stadium pitch in both gradient and size."

“I hope we will be in there in Arborfield to do training after the team return from their pre-season trip to Sweden.

“Initially they will go to Bradfield and then we can move on to our training ground at Arborfield towards the end of July and have the Academy games programme played there from September.

“We have spent an awful lot of money on it.It’s a very important move for the club.We have built the stadium and the indoor dome and this is the next natural step.

“It will bring many benefits to us,including being able to attract new players.

“The surface of the new training ground will be up there with that of Madejski Stadium in terms of quality.

“We have been very fortunate to have such a good relationship with Reading Cricket and Hockey Club and Bradfield College,but for the long-term development of the football club you need your own facilities and this will be one of the best.”

The cost of irrigation and constructing the pitches is around £500,000,while building a car park and developing the access path will be around £100,000.

However the club are yet to recieve planning permission from the MOD who currently own the adjacent land.The club would ideally like to use a building for a changing room area.

A permanent building is not on the agenda in the near future as the cost of that could reach as much as £3million,money which the club simply don't have available.Inside the building will obviously be changing rooms,medial treatment rooms and possibly a canteen.

Whatever the division,the future sounds bright for the Royals.