| Our new training centre 22:18 - May 5 with 2756 views | Vic |
I've seen it mentioned in a few threads that the new facility will give us an added extra in attracting new signings.
My question is whether it is any better than than any of the other clubs in the Prem? [Post edited 5 May 22:23]
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| Our new training centre on 03:45 - May 6 with 2461 views | Muncher |
It’s probably going to be in the top half level by a lot of metrics. If you ask Gemini to rank them all it puts it in 9th for the Premier League. While it’s smaller than some of those on top of the list as it is newer than many it may well be more advanced in some regards.
With the **£40m redevelopment** nearing completion, Ipswich Town catapults into the middle of the Premier League rankings. While they don't have the massive acreage of a rural estate like Leicester or Arsenal, their facility is now one of the newest and most technically advanced in the country.
### **Premier League Training Ground Rankings (2026)**
*Ranking based on facility quality, technology, investment, and pitch variety.*
| Rank | Club | Facility Name | Opened/Refurb | Est. Cost | Area (Acres) | Pitches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **1** | **Man City** | City Football Academy | 2014 | £200m | 80 | 16 |
| **2** | **Leicester** | Seagrave | 2020 | £100m | 185 | 21 |
| **3** | **Tottenham** | Hotspur Way | 2012 | £45m | 77 | 15 |
| **4** | **Man Utd** | Carrington | 2025 (Refurb) | £60m | 108 | 14 |
| **5** | **Liverpool** | AXA Training Centre | 2020 | £50m | 22 | 10+ |
| **6** | **Chelsea** | Cobham | 2007 | £20m | 140 | 30 |
| **7** | **Arsenal** | Sobha Realty Centre | 2017 (Refurb) | £12m | 143 | 10 |
| **8** | **Aston Villa** | Bodymoor Heath | 2021 | £14m | 90 | 12 |
| **9** | **Brighton** | Amex Elite Performance | 2021 (Refurb) | £32m | 21 | 13 |
| **10** | **Ipswich** | **Playford Rd / Bent Ln** | **2026 (Refurb)** | **£40m** | **43** | **13** |
| **11** | **Bournemouth** | Canford Magna | 2023 | £35m | 57 | 9 |
| **12** | **Wolves** | Compton Park | 2023 (Refurb) | £10m | 50 | 11 |
| **13** | **Newcastle** | Darsley Park | 2024 (Refurb) | £15m | 15 | 6 |
| **14** | **Everton** | Finch Farm | 2007 | £17m | 55 | 10 |
| **15** | **Southampton** | Staplewood | 2014 | £40m | 27 | 11 |
| **16** | **Sunderland** | Academy of Light | 2003 | £15m | 220 | 15 |
| **17** | **Crystal Palace** | Copers Cope | 2021 | £20m | 20 | 8 |
| **18** | **Leeds Utd** | Thorp Arch | 1994 (Ongoing) | N/A | 121 | 8 |
| **19** | **West Ham** | Rush Green | 2016 | £4m | 29 | 7 |
| **20** | **Fulham** | Motspur Park | 2022 (Refurb) | £7m | 20 | 6 |
| **21** | **Burnley** | Gawthorpe Hall | 2017 | £10m | 60 | 7 |
| **22** | **Brentford** | Jersey Road | 2022 (Refurb) | £3m | 12 | 4 |
| **23** | **Nottm Forest** | Nigel Doughty Academy | 2023 (Refurb) | £2m | 50 | 8 |
| **24** | **Coventry** | Ryton / Alan Higgs | 2023 (Refurb) | £2m | 20 | 5 |
### **Breakdown of Ipswich Town's Ranking**
Ipswich sits at **10th**, just breaking into the top half of the Premier League. Here is why:
* **Investment Density:** Spending **£40m** on a 43-acre site is a massive concentration of capital. While clubs like Arsenal and Chelsea have more land, Ipswich's new first-team building is technologically superior to many of the "older" elite buildings due to 2026-spec medical and data-tracking integration.
* **Pitch Precision:** Between the **Playford Road** side (approx. 25 acres) and the **Bent Lane** side (approx. 18 acres), the club now manages **13 pitches**. This includes the three "Desso GrassMaster" hybrid pitches that are exact replicas of the Portman Road surface.
* **Strategic Consolidation:** By moving the first team to the new Elite Hub on Playford Road, the club has created a "locked-down" environment for the senior squad while giving the Academy a dedicated, refurbished campus at Bent Lane. This dual-site efficiency is something older grounds like Everton's Finch Farm struggle with due to space constraints.
[Post edited 6 May 6:03]
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| Our new training centre on 04:34 - May 6 with 2414 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
I think it’s been quoted about a 40M project so it will be very decent but I’m not sure it would be above loads of others at that level. Bournemouth’s new one just as an example is what you think Real Madrid would be like, an entire campus.
The ground needed a hell of a lot of work, the current offices are basically an old social club aren’t they? Probably quite hard to wow potential recruits walking around that with a decades old roof tiles on a dated building. So I’m sure this will be much better.
I’m actually surprised they didn’t move the entire thing but clearly they’d already put a lot of work into the quality of the pitches etc over the last few years.
I’m looking forward to seeing a video of the new facility once it opens in full in July. |  |
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| Our new training centre on 06:29 - May 6 with 2297 views | LA_Tractor_Boy |
| Our new training centre on 04:34 - May 6 by Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
I think it’s been quoted about a 40M project so it will be very decent but I’m not sure it would be above loads of others at that level. Bournemouth’s new one just as an example is what you think Real Madrid would be like, an entire campus.
The ground needed a hell of a lot of work, the current offices are basically an old social club aren’t they? Probably quite hard to wow potential recruits walking around that with a decades old roof tiles on a dated building. So I’m sure this will be much better.
I’m actually surprised they didn’t move the entire thing but clearly they’d already put a lot of work into the quality of the pitches etc over the last few years.
I’m looking forward to seeing a video of the new facility once it opens in full in July. |
I remember when Ashton first arrived they were looking at relocating south of Ipswich to attract players from London.
Not sure if this was to attract academy or first team players (or both). | | | |
| Our new training centre on 06:57 - May 6 with 2227 views | IndependentlyBlue |
| Our new training centre on 03:45 - May 6 by Muncher |
It’s probably going to be in the top half level by a lot of metrics. If you ask Gemini to rank them all it puts it in 9th for the Premier League. While it’s smaller than some of those on top of the list as it is newer than many it may well be more advanced in some regards.
With the **£40m redevelopment** nearing completion, Ipswich Town catapults into the middle of the Premier League rankings. While they don't have the massive acreage of a rural estate like Leicester or Arsenal, their facility is now one of the newest and most technically advanced in the country.
### **Premier League Training Ground Rankings (2026)**
*Ranking based on facility quality, technology, investment, and pitch variety.*
| Rank | Club | Facility Name | Opened/Refurb | Est. Cost | Area (Acres) | Pitches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **1** | **Man City** | City Football Academy | 2014 | £200m | 80 | 16 |
| **2** | **Leicester** | Seagrave | 2020 | £100m | 185 | 21 |
| **3** | **Tottenham** | Hotspur Way | 2012 | £45m | 77 | 15 |
| **4** | **Man Utd** | Carrington | 2025 (Refurb) | £60m | 108 | 14 |
| **5** | **Liverpool** | AXA Training Centre | 2020 | £50m | 22 | 10+ |
| **6** | **Chelsea** | Cobham | 2007 | £20m | 140 | 30 |
| **7** | **Arsenal** | Sobha Realty Centre | 2017 (Refurb) | £12m | 143 | 10 |
| **8** | **Aston Villa** | Bodymoor Heath | 2021 | £14m | 90 | 12 |
| **9** | **Brighton** | Amex Elite Performance | 2021 (Refurb) | £32m | 21 | 13 |
| **10** | **Ipswich** | **Playford Rd / Bent Ln** | **2026 (Refurb)** | **£40m** | **43** | **13** |
| **11** | **Bournemouth** | Canford Magna | 2023 | £35m | 57 | 9 |
| **12** | **Wolves** | Compton Park | 2023 (Refurb) | £10m | 50 | 11 |
| **13** | **Newcastle** | Darsley Park | 2024 (Refurb) | £15m | 15 | 6 |
| **14** | **Everton** | Finch Farm | 2007 | £17m | 55 | 10 |
| **15** | **Southampton** | Staplewood | 2014 | £40m | 27 | 11 |
| **16** | **Sunderland** | Academy of Light | 2003 | £15m | 220 | 15 |
| **17** | **Crystal Palace** | Copers Cope | 2021 | £20m | 20 | 8 |
| **18** | **Leeds Utd** | Thorp Arch | 1994 (Ongoing) | N/A | 121 | 8 |
| **19** | **West Ham** | Rush Green | 2016 | £4m | 29 | 7 |
| **20** | **Fulham** | Motspur Park | 2022 (Refurb) | £7m | 20 | 6 |
| **21** | **Burnley** | Gawthorpe Hall | 2017 | £10m | 60 | 7 |
| **22** | **Brentford** | Jersey Road | 2022 (Refurb) | £3m | 12 | 4 |
| **23** | **Nottm Forest** | Nigel Doughty Academy | 2023 (Refurb) | £2m | 50 | 8 |
| **24** | **Coventry** | Ryton / Alan Higgs | 2023 (Refurb) | £2m | 20 | 5 |
### **Breakdown of Ipswich Town's Ranking**
Ipswich sits at **10th**, just breaking into the top half of the Premier League. Here is why:
* **Investment Density:** Spending **£40m** on a 43-acre site is a massive concentration of capital. While clubs like Arsenal and Chelsea have more land, Ipswich's new first-team building is technologically superior to many of the "older" elite buildings due to 2026-spec medical and data-tracking integration.
* **Pitch Precision:** Between the **Playford Road** side (approx. 25 acres) and the **Bent Lane** side (approx. 18 acres), the club now manages **13 pitches**. This includes the three "Desso GrassMaster" hybrid pitches that are exact replicas of the Portman Road surface.
* **Strategic Consolidation:** By moving the first team to the new Elite Hub on Playford Road, the club has created a "locked-down" environment for the senior squad while giving the Academy a dedicated, refurbished campus at Bent Lane. This dual-site efficiency is something older grounds like Everton's Finch Farm struggle with due to space constraints.
[Post edited 6 May 6:03]
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Leicester 2nd in the list and now in League One, wow. Did I read somewhere that they were considering selling their training ground to Forest? Would make sense to Forest with them being so far down the list. |  |
| Better to stay silent and be thought a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt |
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| Our new training centre on 07:03 - May 6 with 2179 views | Wallingford_Boy |
I wandered up there on Sunday, nursing my hangover and had a look over the fences to see how it’s looking.
All looks great other than the tired entrance.
I’d spend a few quid on that. |  |
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| Our new training centre on 07:19 - May 6 with 2114 views | Axeldalai_lama |
By the sounds of it, it is better than quite a few existing prem training grounds which is great to hear. The overall point is more that it's not a negative, not something a player will look at and think will hinder them or will show us to be less than serious. All pieces of the puzzle. Great manager, great training ground, great club spirit, decent ground being improved, decent team being improved, decent town being improved. |  | | |
| Our new training centre on 09:14 - May 6 with 1706 views | Sharkey |
| Our new training centre on 06:29 - May 6 by LA_Tractor_Boy |
I remember when Ashton first arrived they were looking at relocating south of Ipswich to attract players from London.
Not sure if this was to attract academy or first team players (or both). |
I thought that was more to do with the youth set-up. The phrase he used was ‘the Essex side of town’, and I suspect it may have been in part a response to very promising London-based kids choosing Colchester ahead of Town. But that could have just been a slightly knee-jerk response to a particular moment and one or two outstanding prospects (maybe Poku?) and things have moved on since then; while Colchester have been pretty good at producing professional footballers, Town must surely think the two clubs are fishing in slightly different ponds. |  | | |
| Our new training centre on 13:21 - May 6 with 1294 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
| Our new training centre on 06:57 - May 6 by IndependentlyBlue |
Leicester 2nd in the list and now in League One, wow. Did I read somewhere that they were considering selling their training ground to Forest? Would make sense to Forest with them being so far down the list. |
They might have to they already borrowed against their parachute money just to pay some of their wage bill. | |
| |
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| Our new training centre on 13:25 - May 6 with 1255 views | chicoazul |
| Our new training centre on 03:45 - May 6 by Muncher |
It’s probably going to be in the top half level by a lot of metrics. If you ask Gemini to rank them all it puts it in 9th for the Premier League. While it’s smaller than some of those on top of the list as it is newer than many it may well be more advanced in some regards.
With the **£40m redevelopment** nearing completion, Ipswich Town catapults into the middle of the Premier League rankings. While they don't have the massive acreage of a rural estate like Leicester or Arsenal, their facility is now one of the newest and most technically advanced in the country.
### **Premier League Training Ground Rankings (2026)**
*Ranking based on facility quality, technology, investment, and pitch variety.*
| Rank | Club | Facility Name | Opened/Refurb | Est. Cost | Area (Acres) | Pitches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **1** | **Man City** | City Football Academy | 2014 | £200m | 80 | 16 |
| **2** | **Leicester** | Seagrave | 2020 | £100m | 185 | 21 |
| **3** | **Tottenham** | Hotspur Way | 2012 | £45m | 77 | 15 |
| **4** | **Man Utd** | Carrington | 2025 (Refurb) | £60m | 108 | 14 |
| **5** | **Liverpool** | AXA Training Centre | 2020 | £50m | 22 | 10+ |
| **6** | **Chelsea** | Cobham | 2007 | £20m | 140 | 30 |
| **7** | **Arsenal** | Sobha Realty Centre | 2017 (Refurb) | £12m | 143 | 10 |
| **8** | **Aston Villa** | Bodymoor Heath | 2021 | £14m | 90 | 12 |
| **9** | **Brighton** | Amex Elite Performance | 2021 (Refurb) | £32m | 21 | 13 |
| **10** | **Ipswich** | **Playford Rd / Bent Ln** | **2026 (Refurb)** | **£40m** | **43** | **13** |
| **11** | **Bournemouth** | Canford Magna | 2023 | £35m | 57 | 9 |
| **12** | **Wolves** | Compton Park | 2023 (Refurb) | £10m | 50 | 11 |
| **13** | **Newcastle** | Darsley Park | 2024 (Refurb) | £15m | 15 | 6 |
| **14** | **Everton** | Finch Farm | 2007 | £17m | 55 | 10 |
| **15** | **Southampton** | Staplewood | 2014 | £40m | 27 | 11 |
| **16** | **Sunderland** | Academy of Light | 2003 | £15m | 220 | 15 |
| **17** | **Crystal Palace** | Copers Cope | 2021 | £20m | 20 | 8 |
| **18** | **Leeds Utd** | Thorp Arch | 1994 (Ongoing) | N/A | 121 | 8 |
| **19** | **West Ham** | Rush Green | 2016 | £4m | 29 | 7 |
| **20** | **Fulham** | Motspur Park | 2022 (Refurb) | £7m | 20 | 6 |
| **21** | **Burnley** | Gawthorpe Hall | 2017 | £10m | 60 | 7 |
| **22** | **Brentford** | Jersey Road | 2022 (Refurb) | £3m | 12 | 4 |
| **23** | **Nottm Forest** | Nigel Doughty Academy | 2023 (Refurb) | £2m | 50 | 8 |
| **24** | **Coventry** | Ryton / Alan Higgs | 2023 (Refurb) | £2m | 20 | 5 |
### **Breakdown of Ipswich Town's Ranking**
Ipswich sits at **10th**, just breaking into the top half of the Premier League. Here is why:
* **Investment Density:** Spending **£40m** on a 43-acre site is a massive concentration of capital. While clubs like Arsenal and Chelsea have more land, Ipswich's new first-team building is technologically superior to many of the "older" elite buildings due to 2026-spec medical and data-tracking integration.
* **Pitch Precision:** Between the **Playford Road** side (approx. 25 acres) and the **Bent Lane** side (approx. 18 acres), the club now manages **13 pitches**. This includes the three "Desso GrassMaster" hybrid pitches that are exact replicas of the Portman Road surface.
* **Strategic Consolidation:** By moving the first team to the new Elite Hub on Playford Road, the club has created a "locked-down" environment for the senior squad while giving the Academy a dedicated, refurbished campus at Bent Lane. This dual-site efficiency is something older grounds like Everton's Finch Farm struggle with due to space constraints.
[Post edited 6 May 6:03]
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How long will it be before the majority of posts here are AI to AI |  |
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| MIGA on 13:30 - May 6 with 1195 views | Dyland |
| Our new training centre on 07:19 - May 6 by Axeldalai_lama |
By the sounds of it, it is better than quite a few existing prem training grounds which is great to hear. The overall point is more that it's not a negative, not something a player will look at and think will hinder them or will show us to be less than serious. All pieces of the puzzle. Great manager, great training ground, great club spirit, decent ground being improved, decent team being improved, decent town being improved. |
COYFB |  |
| |
| Our new training centre on 13:31 - May 6 with 1191 views | urbanpenguin |
| Our new training centre on 13:25 - May 6 by chicoazul |
How long will it be before the majority of posts here are AI to AI |
CoPilot tells me:
Your answer — if you want something sharp, factual, and not sentimental — is:
“It already is. The tipping point happened the moment people stopped checking sources and started reposting model‑generated rankings as fact.”
If you want alternatives with different tones:
- Dry: “We’ve passed that threshold. This thread is the evidence.”
- Sarcastic: “About five minutes ago.”
- Measured: “Once AI‑generated content becomes indistinguishable from fan analysis — which is effectively now.”
If you want it to land in the forum’s usual register, the first one is the cleanest. |  | | |
| Our new training centre on 13:38 - May 6 with 1116 views | eireblue |
| Our new training centre on 03:45 - May 6 by Muncher |
It’s probably going to be in the top half level by a lot of metrics. If you ask Gemini to rank them all it puts it in 9th for the Premier League. While it’s smaller than some of those on top of the list as it is newer than many it may well be more advanced in some regards.
With the **£40m redevelopment** nearing completion, Ipswich Town catapults into the middle of the Premier League rankings. While they don't have the massive acreage of a rural estate like Leicester or Arsenal, their facility is now one of the newest and most technically advanced in the country.
### **Premier League Training Ground Rankings (2026)**
*Ranking based on facility quality, technology, investment, and pitch variety.*
| Rank | Club | Facility Name | Opened/Refurb | Est. Cost | Area (Acres) | Pitches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **1** | **Man City** | City Football Academy | 2014 | £200m | 80 | 16 |
| **2** | **Leicester** | Seagrave | 2020 | £100m | 185 | 21 |
| **3** | **Tottenham** | Hotspur Way | 2012 | £45m | 77 | 15 |
| **4** | **Man Utd** | Carrington | 2025 (Refurb) | £60m | 108 | 14 |
| **5** | **Liverpool** | AXA Training Centre | 2020 | £50m | 22 | 10+ |
| **6** | **Chelsea** | Cobham | 2007 | £20m | 140 | 30 |
| **7** | **Arsenal** | Sobha Realty Centre | 2017 (Refurb) | £12m | 143 | 10 |
| **8** | **Aston Villa** | Bodymoor Heath | 2021 | £14m | 90 | 12 |
| **9** | **Brighton** | Amex Elite Performance | 2021 (Refurb) | £32m | 21 | 13 |
| **10** | **Ipswich** | **Playford Rd / Bent Ln** | **2026 (Refurb)** | **£40m** | **43** | **13** |
| **11** | **Bournemouth** | Canford Magna | 2023 | £35m | 57 | 9 |
| **12** | **Wolves** | Compton Park | 2023 (Refurb) | £10m | 50 | 11 |
| **13** | **Newcastle** | Darsley Park | 2024 (Refurb) | £15m | 15 | 6 |
| **14** | **Everton** | Finch Farm | 2007 | £17m | 55 | 10 |
| **15** | **Southampton** | Staplewood | 2014 | £40m | 27 | 11 |
| **16** | **Sunderland** | Academy of Light | 2003 | £15m | 220 | 15 |
| **17** | **Crystal Palace** | Copers Cope | 2021 | £20m | 20 | 8 |
| **18** | **Leeds Utd** | Thorp Arch | 1994 (Ongoing) | N/A | 121 | 8 |
| **19** | **West Ham** | Rush Green | 2016 | £4m | 29 | 7 |
| **20** | **Fulham** | Motspur Park | 2022 (Refurb) | £7m | 20 | 6 |
| **21** | **Burnley** | Gawthorpe Hall | 2017 | £10m | 60 | 7 |
| **22** | **Brentford** | Jersey Road | 2022 (Refurb) | £3m | 12 | 4 |
| **23** | **Nottm Forest** | Nigel Doughty Academy | 2023 (Refurb) | £2m | 50 | 8 |
| **24** | **Coventry** | Ryton / Alan Higgs | 2023 (Refurb) | £2m | 20 | 5 |
### **Breakdown of Ipswich Town's Ranking**
Ipswich sits at **10th**, just breaking into the top half of the Premier League. Here is why:
* **Investment Density:** Spending **£40m** on a 43-acre site is a massive concentration of capital. While clubs like Arsenal and Chelsea have more land, Ipswich's new first-team building is technologically superior to many of the "older" elite buildings due to 2026-spec medical and data-tracking integration.
* **Pitch Precision:** Between the **Playford Road** side (approx. 25 acres) and the **Bent Lane** side (approx. 18 acres), the club now manages **13 pitches**. This includes the three "Desso GrassMaster" hybrid pitches that are exact replicas of the Portman Road surface.
* **Strategic Consolidation:** By moving the first team to the new Elite Hub on Playford Road, the club has created a "locked-down" environment for the senior squad while giving the Academy a dedicated, refurbished campus at Bent Lane. This dual-site efficiency is something older grounds like Everton's Finch Farm struggle with due to space constraints.
[Post edited 6 May 6:03]
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Jeez, Ashton even has Gemini using the word elite repeatedly now. |  | | |
| Our new training centre on 13:47 - May 6 with 1093 views | Keno |
amazing regeneration after 'the conflagration of Playford Road' that led Kesgrave becoming a desolate barren wasteland ..... well more of a desolate barren wasteland |  |
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| Our new training centre on 17:38 - May 6 with 754 views | FrimleyBlue |
| Our new training centre on 13:25 - May 6 by chicoazul |
How long will it be before the majority of posts here are AI to AI |
I quite like it
" What can you tell me about frimleyblue on twtd
FrimleyBlue is a prolific and well-known user on TWTD (Those Were The Days), the primary independent forum for Ipswich Town FC fans
Known affectionately by the community as "Frimmers
"Frimmers HT Thoughts": A staple of the forum during matchdays, FrimleyBlue regularly starts dedicated threads at half-time to share tactical analysis and player ratings. |  |
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| Our new training centre on 20:37 - May 6 with 539 views | NBVJohn |
| Our new training centre on 07:03 - May 6 by Wallingford_Boy |
I wandered up there on Sunday, nursing my hangover and had a look over the fences to see how it’s looking.
All looks great other than the tired entrance.
I’d spend a few quid on that. |
There was an excess of the paint that Evan’s used on the turnstiles. They found it in a cupboard when they were clearing out Ian Milne’s old office.
Anyway, the plan is to give to use it to spruce up the ‘tired entrance’.
Hope that helps. | | | |
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