YOUNGSTERS at Bury Grammar School boys can look forward to new state-of-the-art facilities after building work started on their new sports complex.

Construction began last Thursday on a new 3G pitch, multi-use games area, and 50m sprint and long jump track at the school in Tenterden Street.

The new surfaces will replace the current tennis courts and the artificial surface that surround the sports hall and address the immediate requirement for all-weather pitches.

Once complete, the complex will provide facilities for under-14 football matches, plus training facilities for pupils of all ages in football, rugby, cricket, futsal and hockey.

Full-size volleyball and basketball pitches, together with four tennis courts, will be complemented by a 50m sprint track and high jump, long jump and triple jump facilities.

Headmaster Richard Marshall said: "These developments will allow all boys at every sporting level to participate in a wider range of sports all year round. And, of course, BGS girls will also have access to these tremendous facilities. We can justifiably say that we are providing our current and future generation of BGS boys and girls with a superb and well-deserved, leading edge Sports Campus."

Bolton contractors GreenFields (Sports Surfaces) will be supplying the 3G pitch, having previously installed the same surface at clubs including Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, Celtic and Charlton.

Their Commercial Director, Paul Milton, added: “GreenFields have worked with a number of schools and colleges across the country and are extremely proud to have been chosen for this exciting project at Bury Grammar School.”

A school spokesman added: "This phase of the development work has been made possible by the generosity of several supporters of the school. In particular, Mr Clifford Billings, who passed away recently at the age of 92.

"Mr Billings, a BGS Old Boy, was a gifted footballer and played for our BGS Old Boys team until well into his fifties. He remained a supporter of BGS for many years and the updating of our BGSB sports facilities is testimony to his continued generosity to the school.

"This phase of development will not be the end of the improvement to BGSB’s sporting facilities, which will continue into 2017."