THE football season kicked off in style at the weekend after new pitches at Wooldridge Playing Fields in Blackburn were used for the first time.

The £460,000 scheme, which has been three years in the making, is a welcome boost for both junior and senior football across the area.

The East Lancashire Football Development Association, made up of three amateur football leagues, was formed in 2014 to help improve amateur football and its chairman Bill Maynard is delighted to see all their hard work finally come to fruition.

“We have worked very hard for this day and we are delighted to see the pitches finally open,” he said. “When we set up the group, the aim was to dramatically improve football for our amateur clubs and now we have done that.”

The ELFDA includes the Blackburn and District Combination, East Lancashire Football Alliance – which is one of the biggest junior leagues in Lancashire – and The Blackburn Sunday Football League.

Since it’s formation, it has worked closely with Blackburn and Darwen Borough Council and other outside agencies to obtain funding for the project.

“The council have been superb,” said Maynard. “We could not have done it without their help and assistance.”

There are five new pitches on the Wooldridge site - formerly Pleckgate Playing Fields - with a further two more to be opened at Pleckgate High School Mathematics and Computing College by the end of the year or early in the new year.

The Wooldridge site includes one full size pitch, one under 15s pitch and three small-sided, nine-a-side pitches.

A brand new two storey changing rooms are due to open later this month.

“The old changing rooms were not fit for purpose so the new ones will be welcomed by everyone once they open in a couple of weeks time,” added Maynard. “There is a big changing room on each floor with three smaller ones, all with their own showers, and we also have a changing room for match officials, something we did not have in the past.”

The pitches were used for the first time on Saturday when Blackburn Rovers Ladies played Sunderland while on Sunday a number of East Lancashire Football Alliance were played.

“It’s great the pitches are finally up and running and being used,” said Maynard.

“It has been a long process to get to where we are and this is great news for junior and senior teams, not just in East Lancashire but also for teams who are visiting the area,

“The feedback we have received has been very positive and all of the teams said they enjoyed playing on the pitches.

“It is a fantastic site now, and it is just what we needed.”