Swans team up with University

Swansea City today stepped up its drive to provide premier training facilities that match its new Premier League status.
The club has teamed up with Swansea University in an exciting partnership that will see the nearby Fairwood playing fields developed into a jointly-owned state-of-the-art training facility.
The two parties have today signed an agreement for the Swans to lease the expansive University-owned fields to use as its training base.
The University will also use the facilities for competitive fixtures and team training.
Once completed, the training ground will include eight full-size pitches, including two all-weather pitches, dedicated training pitches and changing facilities in a refurbished pavilion, plus additional buildings to house further changing facilities, offices, seminar rooms and specialist medical and physiotherapy rooms.
It is hoped that the first pitches could be open as early as October, with the rest of the facility being built in phases over the next 12 to 18 months.
“We are delighted to join forces with Swansea University on this exciting project,’’ declared Swans chairman Huw Jenkins.
“Our aim as a football club has always been to develop a top-flight training facility, but also to develop a good working relationship with like-minded organisations and people.
Swansea City and Swansea University will work together to enhance the sporting facilities at Fairwood that will form part of the fabric of the city for many years to come. This project is one we can all be proud of.’’
Swansea University Pro Vice Chancellor, Professor Noel Thompson, added: “This deal represents a major addition to the sports facility offering of the University, providing our football teams with Premier League-standard pitches.  
“I hope that today’s agreement will lead to other opportunities for co-operation between the University and the Swans; in particular in relation to the considerable expertise we have in sports science and sports medicine.”
The club also hopes to have the new facility at Landore available for use from mid-September.