The R8.5-million development of the No 1 Sports Ground under construction on 2nd Avenue in Alex will, upon completion, boast a modern soccer pitch and facilities where other activities can be hosted for the local youth, children and the community.
The development undertaken by the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association (Anfla), an affiliate of the South African Football Association, is in partnership with the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA).
The development is sponsored by Total. Its first phase of laying AstroTurf for soccer games is expected to be complete by the end of July.
According to Anfla’s Maisha Molapo, on completion, this long forgotten, abandoned and dusty bowl passing for a soccer field will bring hope through soccer and life skills training programmes to aspirant children and youngsters wanting to be future stars of the beautiful game.
Molapo said,”The children will be equipped with coping skills to contend with life challenges.”
According to him, the development will be a new facility for residents to be proud of as it will be a far cry from when the place was home to vagrants and impassable at night for fear of being robbed, and a health hazard from excrement, litter and other filth that made the place an eyesore.
Molapo said the second phase of infrastructural development will include heightening the perimeter wall, then construction of stands, change rooms, administration and other office facilities and installing floodlights.
He said they were also discussing with the JDA to have stands that can accommodate a maximum of 2 000 people. “The pitch will be reserved only for official Saturday and Sunday matches including corporate-sponsored six-aside matches on weekdays as part of fundraising for the facility’s maintenance budget,” Molapo said.
About 200 children are expected to attend different types of life skills and other training programmes at the facility daily.
Negotiations with council are underway to use the adjacent land to develop a public parking space so people don’t need to park along the narrow streets.
