Football legend Ian Rush has opened a new all-weather sports pitch in Powys.The former Wales and Liverpool striker was in Welshpool on Saturday to mark the culmination of two-year’s work by local councillors, campaign groups and the Football Association.
Rush, who played 73 times and scored 28 goals for Wales, was invited by Welshpool Town Council to mark the end of the project. The pitch, on the Oldford Estate, is open for all to use for sports such as five-a-side football, netball and hockey.
Robert Robinson, council clerk, said: “It went very well. There must have been about 70 kids who turned up to play football. I ended up refereeing football matches for two hours.
“Ian Rush was lovely - we got him to score the first goal on the new pitch. He spent a lot of time with the kids.
“Sometimes you get these celebrities that do their bit and wander off, but he must have been there for one-and-a-half to two hours.
“He was mobbed by the youngsters but was very calm and ended up signing a lot of autographs.”
The scheme has cost Welshpool Town Council hardly anything as it was one of two community councils to be granted the pitches for free, with only maintenance costs coming under their budget.
The base cost £10,000, which was paid for Powys County Council.
The project originated with the European Union who wanted to promote sport among young people.
They donated a number of all-weather pitches to the Welsh FA, who in turn gave two to each county.
Welshpool Town Council and the Community First Partnership, in Oldford, worked together to prepare a successful bid to gain one of the two pitches.
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