A new sports pavilion at King George V playing fields (known as Brown’s Field) in Prescot has been officially opened and named the Sylvia Gore Pavilion, in a touching tribute to the local footballing pioneer. The building sits on the very pitches where Sylvia Gore, the first woman ever to score a goal for the England Women’s team, played as a girl.
The £750,000 scheme, which also includes significant pitch improvements, was made possible by a successful grant from the Football Foundation, along with additional Section 106 funding. The project was a collaboration between Knowsley Council, Berkley Junior Football Club, and the Friends of Brown’s Field, of which Sylvia’s cousin Helen Sweeney is a member.
Council Leader, Cllr Graham Morgan, commented, “I am delighted that we have been able to build these fantastic new facilities here on Browns Field. The Pavilion not only creates wonderful opportunities for the local community and the Berkley FC teams, but also allows us to honour the legacy of Sylvia Gore in a very fitting way.
“Sylvia was known to have played football on these very fields as a girl and now her name will be forever connected to this place in the minds of the local community. It provides even more people with an opportunity to learn more about her remarkable story and I hope that it helps to inspire new generations of girls to play this wonderful game.
“It’s also incredibly poignant that we have officially named the Pavilion in her honour today, as it marks 9 years and one day since she sadly passed away. It was a privilege to have known and worked with Sylvia and I’m sure she would feel proud that her legacy lives on in Prescot.”
The official naming ceremony was attended by members of Sylvia’s family, as well as former England footballer Sue Smith, who was coached by Sylvia. Representatives from the Football Foundation and County FA were also present, along with representatives from the Friends of Brown’s Field and Berkley Junior FC.
Sue Smith said: “It’s an absolute honour to have been asked to come along today and be involved in this event. Sylvia was an inspiration to me and many others. To see these fantastic facilities created on the very pitches she played as a child is a wonderful tribute to a wonderful lady.”
Chris Marsh from the Friends of King George V Playing Fields added: “As a former Chair of the Friends Group here, I have been involved for many years in work to enhance and improve the park and what we are able to offer here. Green spaces play such a crucial role in their local neighbourhoods and that’s certainly the case in Prescot.
As a group, we realised early on that to achieve our ambitions for the park we needed to establish a genuine partnership with the Council and I am absolutely delighted that we have been able to do that.
Knowsley Council has provided their full and unwavering support and standing here today and seeing what we have been able to achieve – together – is testament to that partnership. These facilities will benefit the community here for generations to come and I want to thank everyone who has been involved, not least Cllr Morgan and all of the Council staff that have worked so hard to make such a positive difference for the people of Prescot. I’d like also to pay a special tribute to all of the Friends Group and the current Chair Stephanie Lynch who have worked so hard for all of the community.”
The pavilion is a major upgrade for Berkley Junior FC, who previously ran the club out of a portacabin and two shipping containers on the site. The new, fully accessible facilities include office space, lockers, kitchen facilities, and changing rooms, with a community room that offers sweeping views over the park. Berkley FC will manage the building and will be working with local groups to bring events and activities to the pavilion for the benefit of the wider community.
Before and after images of the facilities at KGV Brown’s Field
Ian Leadbetter, Chair of Berkley FC said “I can’t quite believe how far we have come from the early days of Berkley FC. From just seven lads training at the start, we have grown massively and now have around 180 kids training and playing with us.
Football is a great way to bring people together and I know that these amazing new facilities will be a huge asset for the club both now and into the future. What’s even better about the new facilities is that the whole community can enjoy them too – this is a community building and we want to ensure as many people as possible make use of this space 7 days a week. I can’t wait to see this space being used and enjoyed.”
To celebrate the opening, the community is invited to a Family Fun Day on Saturday 13 September from 10am. The event will feature inflatables from KABS, a face painter, and junior football matches, giving local people the chance to get a good look at the new pavilion. The ribbon will be officially cut by members of the junior football team alongside the Leader of Knowsley Council, Cllr Graham Morgan marking the official handover of the building to the community.
Visitors to the park will also be able to learn more about Sylvia’s life and legacy at a new interpretation board located near the pavilion.
You can read more about Sylvia Gore at Knowsley News
