World’s oldest County Football Association relocates HQ
Sheffield & Hallamshire CFA will move into Steel City Stadium at the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park this summer, following the sale of its Meadowhall Road base.
Scarborough Group International, owner and developer of Steel City Stadium, funded the development to the tune of £10m along with backing from the Football Foundation, to be used as a sports and business hub.
It is already home to Barnsley Women’s FC, Ice Hockey UK, and Cricket Arena, while Sheffield Eagles Rugby League Club uses the pitch for training and fixtures alongside community and grassroots teams.
The stadium stands on the site of the former Brown Bayley’s steelworks and sits within the wider Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, for which SGI is the official development partner.
With an initial development and acquisition agreement in place with Sheffield City Council, SGI is advancing plans for 1m sq ft of commercial space across 80 acres, with a forecast gross development value of more than £500m.
Institutions already in place include Sheffield Hallam University’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, the English Institute of Sport, Canon Medical Arena, and the upcoming National Centre for Child Health Technology, and the aim is to cement South Yorkshire as a national centre for life sciences, digital health, and elite sport.
Founded in 1867, SHCFA governs grassroots football within a 20-mile radius of Sheffield Cathedral.
Brian Coddington, chief executive of Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA, said: “We’re delighted to relocate to the modern workspace at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park. This location offers easy access across the region and places us at the heart of Sheffield’s sporting future.”
Ian Sanderson, investment and estates consultant at SGI, said: “SGI’s vision for Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park has always been to create a vibrant and collaborative environment where sport, health and wellbeing organisations can thrive together…
“Welcoming Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA to the Park further strengthens that ecosystem, bringing together elite and grassroots sport in a setting designed to deliver benefits for the entire region.”
