CHILDREN could train on the same pitches as their footballing heroes under an ambitious Oxford United scheme to create an all-weather sports ground.

U’s chairman Kelvin Thomas has begun talks with Oxford City Council about creating a giant football park in the Blackbird Leys area.

The Oxford Mail understands the club plans to lease land from the council before a private company creates the facility.

The artificial pitches would be used by schools and the club during the day and would be hired out to community groups and private users in the evening.

Crucially, the facility could provide the club with its first all-weather training base in the heart of the city.

Oxford United players currently train on grass pitches at Chesterton, near Bicester, but during the recent bad weather have had to look as far afield as Northampton because of a lack of artificial pitches locally.

Mr Thomas said: “This project gives us a great opportunity to create a public-private sector partnership for better leisure provision in Oxford.

“These pitches could potentially be used by some of our academy and centre of excellence teams and now and again by the first team — especially during the weather we have experienced lately.

“I feel very strongly that the club should be working with the city council on all kinds of projects which would benefit Oxfordshire.”

The nearest publicly owned all-weather sports pitches in Oxfordshire are at Tilsley Park in Abingdon.

Although an exact location for the complex has yet to be identified, it is understood the artificial pitches, which would incorporate the latest 3G artificial grass technology, would not be built on the Kassam Stadium site.

The Mail understands both parties want to see work begin before the end of the year. City council leader Bob Price said: “We would very much like to work with Oxford United to provide football pitches in the south-east of the city as part of our general development of sports facilities for young people.

“It is important there should be an open exercise to identify whether it is financially feasible and where the pitches might be.

“We cannot narrow it down to a certain piece of land until we know the type of bid and what it offers the community.

“We see football facilities and training support as an important part of the council’s strengthening communities programme.”

Last night Nick Courtney-Cramp, chairman of Greater Leys Youth Football Club, said: “It’s exciting news – a facility will be well-used for all sports.

“It’s something else for the kids, too.”

Blackbird Leys Parish Council chairman Gerry Webb added: “Anything that is going to improve sports facilities on the Leys has to be a bonus.

“The more facilities there are, the less time kids will spend on the streets.”