England cricket star launches new sports pitch

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Nick Knight was joined by pupils of St John's Walham Green Primary School

Cricket star Nick Knight, who has played in 100 one-day internationals and 17 test matches for England, opened a new sports pitch in the playground of St John's Walham Green Primary School, in Fulham - one of several new pitches and sports facilities to be provided in Hammersmith & Fulham after the council secured £1.56 million from the Big Lottery Fund.

Nick Knight, who captained the Warwickshire cricket team for the 2004 and 2005 seasons, was joined by pupils, staff and governors from the school when he opened the new rubberised, all-weather sports pitch at St John's on Wednesday (12 October). The pitch, paid for with £48,204 from the Big Lottery Fund, will be used for football, cricket, tag rugby, basketball, netball and rounders.

St John's supplements its PE and sports curriculum with regular skills sessions for pupils by visiting coaches including: football coaching by Fulham Football Club; tennis coaching by the Queen's Club in Barons Court and football, cricket and other sports sessions run by the council's sports development team and council-led school sports partnership.

The school, in Filmer Road, Fulham, has been awarded a Football Association Charter Mark for the high standard of football coaching and provision by teacher Feliks Morozgalski, who works in partnership with the sports curriculum manager Barbara Wightwick to develop a range of sporting opportunities with the support of local partners.

Mrs Morozgalska, who is chair of the Hammersmith & Fulham Primary Schools Sports Association, said: "The new pitch is wonderful and really enhances the playground as well as being much better suited to all the sports we want to play here than our old surface. St John's is very committed to sport and we work closely with the council's sports development team, Fulham Football Club and the Queen's Club, as well as taking part in inter-schools sports tournaments."

Nick Knight, who watched the children in action on the new pitch, said: "The new sports pitch will be a great asset to the school and will hopefully encourage the children here to get involved in sport of all kinds. Good grassroots facilities and coaching are vital if we are to preserve and build on the standards we have reached in cricket and other sports in this country. I hope that by coming here to open the new pitch I can play my part in inspiring these children to enjoy taking part in regular sporting activities and tournaments."

As part of the opening ceremony, the new pitch was blessed and dedicated to local children and young people by the Rev Mark Osborne, vicar of St John's Church. Other guests included former Olympic hockey player John Cadman, who has been acting as a consultant to the council in developing new sports pitches and facilities in the borough, and Cllr Melanie Smallman, Hammersmith & Fulham Council's cabinet member for education.

Cllr Smallman said: "We now have a fantastic range of sports facilities in the borough following the opening of new all-weather pitches in our schools and parks as well as the recently reopened athletics track at the Linford Christie Outdoor Sports Centre. The council is also providing sports coaching in schools and organises an exciting range of inter-school tournaments, as well as selecting and preparing young athletes for the annual London Youth Games. The opening of a new £4 million swimming pool in White City in January will give a further boost to facilities in the north of the borough. All of this will enable us to play our part in developing sporting talent for the 2012 Olympics and beyond."

October 16, 2005