Hemel Hempstead Town FC hopes to expand facilities for hospitality and academy

Chairman Dave Boggins is keen for the club to be ambitious

The club has applied for planning permission to make permanent its classroom facilities for its growing academy intake, and increase the level of hospitality it can offer on matchdays.

Mr Boggins has purchased two large cabins which would acts as classroom facilities for the 45 pupils of the academy, including interactive whiteboard facilities, ideal for match analysis, together with other teaching aids.

The hospitality unit will double as another classroom as required.

The planning application is for the facilities to be used at the club's Vauxhall Road home ground

Mr Boggins said: “It’s important to improve facilities year-on-year if you have ambitions to improve your status and position in the game. That has always been our ambition.”

The cabins have been ready in place for six weeks, and should Dacorum Borough Council approve the application they are expected to be given a permanent site at the Tudor’s home ground at Vauxhall Road at the end of the season in May.

For chairman Dave, offering an education to the club’s academy players – aged between 16 and 18 – is extremely important.

He said: “It’s in the second year and it’s been a big success, but now we need some accommodation for our pupils.

“Some kids think they don’t need school. But we all know they need an education, even if they think they’re going to be a superstar footballer.

“It will act as a classroom from Monday to Thursday, and for home games on Saturday we can sell the space for hospitality. There’s a big demand for that and it’s been popular when we’ve done it.”

The planning application will be decided by councillors at Dacorum Borough Council.