Bognor Regis Town supremo rewarded by FA as St George’s Park anniversary is marked

Pearce, who has been a driving force at Nyewood Lane for more than 50 years, has been given a framed memento depicting the site, before and after the work, to celebrate 10 years since it was completed.

The wording – written by FA CEO Mark Bullingham and FA Chair Debbie Hewitt MBE – to accompany the gift, which is hanging in the Bognor Regis Town FC boardroom in the heart of the main stand, says: “As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of St. George's Park, please accept our heartfelt thanks for the significant role you played in delivering the project for the benefit of English football.”

Pearce, vice chairman of the FA, says he is delighted to receive the accolade and remembers a crucial period where the green light for the project was far from certain. But he delivered a rallying call for the facility to be built – and the go-ahead was given.

He said: “I’m very pleased to receive the gift and very proud to have played a part in making St. George's Park happen. It’s a wonderful set-up.”

Built in 2012 for £105m, St. George’s Park is set within 330 acres of Staffordshire countryside. The site boasts 14 elite outdoor pitches, including an exact replica of the Wembley surface, a full-sized indoor 3G and a futsal arena. Physical preparation and sport science are integral to the National Football Centre with state-of-the-art performance and recovery facilities providing the ultimate training and rehabilitation hub.

St. George’s Park is also the home of England Football Learning, with the majority of elite coaching and medical courses delivered on site.

The FA website tells visitors: "Visitors to the site can enjoy impressive accommodation with a 228-bedroom Hilton hotel catering for individuals, groups or team bookings, along with major sporting or business conferences and banquets.

"If that’s not enough, the site also has an Outdoor Leadership Centre providing a unique setting to develop high performing teams and leaders that can be tailored to both sport and business.

"Not just England. Not just football either. With over a decade of experience catering for the unique requirements of elite sport, St. George’s Park has welcomed teams from all over the world including the likes of Barcelona, Ajax, Man City, Benfica, England Rugby, England Cricket and many more!"