ACADEMY'S REACH EXPANDS TO NEW REGIONAL PERFORMANCE CENTRE

Dundee United’s Academy will officially move into the new state of the art Regional Performance Centre at Caird Park next week where they will utilise the full-sized indoor synthetic pitch for training. 

This is part of the Academy’s continued expansion and provides the Club’s Young Terrors with additional training opportunities alongside the current programme at the GA Engineering Arena facility. 

The Regional Performance Centre has been designed to house elite sports across the region with athletics, rugby, cycling and the Institute of Sport and Exercise set to join our Academy in creating a High-Performance culture. 

In addition to the indoor pitch, the facility also offers another full-sized outdoor synthetic pitch, strength and conditioning suites, performance analysis and education suites, ice baths and recovery facilities as well as a brand new athletics track which our Academy is set to benefit hugely from. 

Academy Director Andy Goldie visited the Regional Performance Centre this week and was hugely impressed with the vision for the facility:-

“As part of our progress to Elite Status come January 2020, we required an indoor facility to host training during the winter months and we are very lucky to have access to a brand new state-of-the-art indoor pitch on our doorstep. 

“Not only will this enhance our application to become the only club in the East in the Elite Tier of the Club Academy Scotland structure, but it also facilitates cross-pollination and the sharing of best practice with experts from other sports.

“From next week, we will take over the lease of the full indoor pitch on Tuesday and Thursday evenings providing our players with an environment where they can continue to develop regardless of the weather for the next three years while we continue to redevelop the GA facility as well as exploring other options.

“It is our priority to provide our players and parents with an Academy they all feel part of and enjoy coming to regardless of the weather so we are very grateful to both Ross McGuire and Allison Reid for their support in gaining the lease for the indoor pitch.”

Pictured are (left to right) Allison Reid (Regional Performance Centre Manager for Leisure & Culture Dundee) Ross McGuire (Performance & Strategy Manager for Leisure & Culture Dundee), Andy Goldie (DUFC Academy Director) and Michael McPake (DUFC Head of Academy Operations).