NEW OPENING
SURREY
SPORTS PARK
A highly-specified sports complex will open at the University
of Surrey this April. Crispin Andrews met up with CEO Jason
Harborow to find out how he’s planning to make it a success
P
eople in and around Guildford, Forward thinking centre and the Olympic-sized pool. Others
students and elite athletes will Harborow pictures the scene in a few have come to watch the England Pakistan
all benefit from the University of months’ time. It’s a warm August af- Test Match on the big screen in the bar,
Surrey’s new £36m sports facility, ternoon, a few weeks after a Legends or enjoy the women’s rugby from the ve-
but chief executive Jason Harborow has tennis match between John McEnroe randa of the first Starbucks coffee shop to
loftier ambitions for the Surrey Sports and Tim Henman marks the park’s grand appear in a European sports centre.
Park – he wants it to be a training venue opening and the place is heaving with Local residents are here too. Some play
whenever a top sporting event takes activity. The car park is full, radio and badminton in the sports hall, others take
place within a reasonable flying distance. news journalists hover in the back- part in football matches on one of the 10
“Never mind the south-east or even ground and TV camera crews set up. The outdoor grass pitches. Dance classes are
England, we want to be one of the top Women’s Rugby Union World Cup has going on in the purpose-built studio and
facilities in Europe,” he says. “It’s a short come to England and three thousand parents look on as their children race up
trip from here to Gatwick Airport and excited spectators descend on the uni- and down the climbing wall.
then only two and a half hours to the versity. But they’re not alone. Every day the park is buzzing. Su-
south of Spain and four to Russia.” Twelve thousand students have access perleague netball team Surrey Storm,
to the sports facilities throughout the formerly Brunel Hurricanes, are practic-
The Chinese Olympic team has already year and although it’s the summer break, ing ahead of their first league game of
declared an interest in using the site as a there are still a few using the tennis and the season in the purpose-built sports
training venue in the run up to 2012 squash courts, the 120-station fitness hall and injured Premiership rugby play-
ers use the fitness centre every day to
speed up their rehabilitation. Three
weeks ago, Surrey County Cricket Club’s
second team played its first game, under
the watchful eye of park ambassador,
former England and Surrey star, Alec
Stewart. The national league squash
team – also called Surrey Storm – is train-
ing at the six-court venue and former
Olympic swimmer, Mark Foster – another
park ambassador – is helping out with a
swimming session in the pool.
Issue 1 2010 © cybertrek 2010 Read Sports Management online
sportsmanagement.co.uk/digital 29
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