FSG's time capsule letter to future LFC fans, colleagues and the community
Liverpool FC chairman Tom Werner has written a letter to future Reds fans, colleagues and the Kirkby community on behalf of Fenway Sports Group that will be included in the time capsule to be installed at the AXA Training Centre next week.
Read the letter in full below and click here for more information on the time capsule.
It has been two years since construction work began on the club’s new Training Centre at Kirkby, marking a significant milestone in the history of this great football club.
The progress that has been made since we broke ground back in September 2018 is remarkable, and we look forward to entering a new era when Liverpool Football Club will bring its first team and Academy operations and facilities together on one site for the first time.
John Henry, Mike Gordon and everyone at Fenway Sports Group are extremely proud to be part of this exciting chapter in the history of Liverpool Football Club.
The redevelopment of the club’s Academy site and its new Training Centre underlines our unwavering commitment to the club. This major investment not only mirrors our success both on and off the pitch but is also a vital step in the club’s continued growth, delivering state-of-the-art facilities and amenities that you would expect for a club of our stature. It will also provide an aspirational and inspirational pathway for our young players at the Academy to senior level where we hope they will one day make their debut for Liverpool FC.
There are so many people involved in making this great project happen, it is impossible to thank them all as individuals. Our first-team manager Jürgen Klopp, sporting director Michael Edwards and Academy director Alex Inglethorpe have been instrumental in turning plans into a reality. Supporting them has been an incredible team of colleagues and partners who together have delivered above and beyond our original vision. Alongside them, we must also thank Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council and local residents for their continued support throughout the delivery of this extended project. Finally, we cannot forget the consultants, contractors, and sub-contractors whose experience has helped us deliver an outstanding training facility for the club.
This project is not just about delivering world-class facilities for our players and colleagues. This project has given us the opportunity to leave a legacy for the club and grow deeper roots in the Kirkby neighbourhood. Investment in the Knowsley area was a priority and this focus has already seen the creation of a new sporting hub for the local community - the Eddie McArdle community pitches and John O’Leary Pavilion, which provides improved football pitches, new changing rooms and associated facilities for local residents and grassroots football teams. All of which we hope will enable the development of more grassroots football and hopefully inspire the next generation of players.
Our Red Neighbours team, along with the existing team at the Academy, have done some fantastic work in the local community, creating long-lasting relationships with local schools, community centres and key stakeholders in the area and we look forward to seeing these relationships blossom and grow in the future.
It must be said that the decision to leave our historic home of Melwood was not taken lightly, and it is with a heavy heart that we do so. We cannot deny the significance and importance of Melwood throughout our club’s rich history. From its fruition in the 1950s to now, Melwood has witnessed some of the club’s greatest managers and players grace its pitches and go on to conquer Europe and the world of football. Those memories will be cherished.
However, as custodians of this great club, our role is to always look towards and build for the future and we look forward to continuing our incredible journey as Premier League champions, while remembering and celebrating our historic past. We hope that by installing this time capsule, we are capturing a small snapshot of that excitement and preserving this next step in our journey for future generations.
We hope you enjoy reading and watching some of our club memories and that some of the seeds we planted 50 years ago have come to fruition.
With the very best wishes
Tom Werner
Chairman, Liverpool FC
On behalf of Fenway Sports Group