Thorp Arch (training ground)
| Location |
Thorp Arch Wetherby |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 53°55′05″N 1°20′15″W / 53.917995°N 1.337521°WCoordinates: 53°55′05″N 1°20′15″W / 53.917995°N 1.337521°W |
| Owner | Barnaway Ltd |
| Type | Sports facility |
| Construction | |
| Built |
c.1994 (The Grange and training pitches) 2000 (The Barn) |
| Opened |
c. 1994 (The Grange and training pitches) 2002 (The Barn) |
| Construction cost | £5 million (The Barn) |
Thorp Arch is the training ground and Academy base of English football club Leeds United. Located in the village of Thorp Arch, near the town of Wetherby, the site covers 12.1 hectares. The facility consists of three sections: The Barn, The Grange and the training pitches. Presently, none of the sections are owned by Leeds United, but the Barn and the training pitches are leased to the club. Leeds' under 18s and under 16s sides currently play their home games on the pitches at Thorp Arch.
Thorp Arch was the brainchild of Howard Wilkinson, who became manager of Leeds United in 1988 and realised that the club needed a modern, purpose-built training facility. At the time, the club trained on Fullerton Park, the area behind the West Stand at the club's stadium, Elland Road. In the early nineties, the club started searching nearby land where the new training ground could be built. The club settled on Thorp Arch and quickly built several pitches. A section called The Grange was also built, providing changing rooms, offices and accommodation for the academy players.
In 2000, the club vacated The Grange in order to start work on a new £5 million state-of-the-art youth academy and training facility. The move saw the academy players move in with local families. The new academy was opened in 2002 and was named The Barn. It featured a number of new facilities including an indoor pitch, a swimming pool, a gym and new changing rooms.
However, the club soon encountered financial difficulties. In July 2004, The Grange was sold to Sterling Investment Properties Limited, a company owned by David Newett, a businessman from Wetherby. As part of the deal, the club were obliged to support any planning application made by Sterling for The Grange over a period of fifty years. Six months later, The Barn and the training pitches were sold to Barnaway Limited, a company owned by Manchester-based businessman, Jacob Adler for £4.2 million, with the option of a re-purchase before 10 October 2009 for £5,828,131. Barnaway leased the facility back to the club for twenty-five years, with the club due to pay annual rent of approximately £430,000, rising 3% each year.
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