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The Arsenal Training Centre, often referred to as its geographical location London Colney in Hertfordshire, is the training ground of Arsenal Football Club. It houses ten full-size pitches, an indoor facility and a medical and rehabilitation centre. Constructed after manager Arsène Wenger campaigned for Arsenal to replace its existing University College London groundshare site, it opened in October 1999 at a cost of £10 million. The training centre was financed by the transfer of Nicolas Anelka to Real Madrid. As well as accommodating Arsenal's first team and youth teams, the centre from 2003 to 2012 acted as the training base for the England national football team before home internationals and friendlies. It has attracted criticism from local residents over environmental and catchment issues. ==History and development== When Arsène Wenger joined Arsenal in October 1996, he attempted to organise an extra training session at the club's University College London Union (UCLU) Shenley Sports grounds, for the benefit of getting to know his players. Wenger was told that the ground – owned by UCL, was reserved for its students, which left him not knowing “whether to laugh or cry”.〔 A few weeks after, a fire partially burnt down the training centre, costing £50,000 in damages. Arsenal temporarily rehoused their training base to Sopwell House Hotel in St Albans. Wenger, dismayed by the arrangement, campaigned for a purpose-built, Arsenal-owned ground that housed the latest training equipment.〔 This was one of the "important decisions" he wanted to make for the club – "Without an assurance of that freedom and control I would not have stayed." By February 1998, Hertsmere Borough Council granted consent for Arsenal to build a training centre on the greenfield land, adjacent to a local school in the Bell Lane area, London Colney.〔 〕 It is situated adjacent to the former facilities at Shenley Sports grounds, which Watford Football Club use for training purposes.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=The UCL Sports Ground )〕 They concluded it was “…essential to support the training facility”, that it would replace an existing building used by the club and that Arsenal’s community work “constituted exceptional circumstances”.〔 The plans were referred to the Environment Secretary John Prescott, who ratified it, in spite of the area's position on the green belt.〔 Planning permission was obtained in September 1998. Richard Marshall and Dearle & Henderson designed the training ground and its facilities. Wenger was "heavily involved" in the process – “even down to the kitchens” and shared ideas from his time as Nagoya Grampus manager, where the club itself was building its own training centre.〔 As part of a fact-finding mission, club representatives visited other training facilities from around Europe, such as Bayern Munich and Auxerre.〔 Arsenal's physiotherapist Gary Lewin and fitness coach Tony Colbert were involved in their respective areas. The project, transforming a 140-acre site, was completed in 45 weeks at a cost of £10 million. Arsenal financed this through the transfer of Nicolas Anelka to Real Madrid for £22.5 million in August 1999. The Arsenal Training Centre was opened by Sports Minister Kate Hoey on 11 October 1999.〔 Chairman Peter Hill-Wood described it as “simply superb”, while Wenger felt it acted as a "big attraction" for players to come to Arsenal.〔 Unlike before, the training centre was open to the first team squad and youth teams for training simultaneously, which in Wenger’s words gave Arsenal a “stronger feeling of togetherness”.〔 The club have since expanded its training centre to include a press briefing building, as well as an indoor pitch facility.〔 During development work in August 2006, an artillery shell was found near the site which led to the surrounding area being evacuated. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Arsenal Training Centre」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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