Training ground (association football)

A training ground is an area where professional association football teams prepare for matches, with activities primarily concentrating on skills and fitness. They also sometimes form part of a club's youth system, as clubs consider it important to have good facilities to aid the development of young players. ^[1]

Training grounds are usually separate from a team's stadium, as clubs use the facilities to avoid overusing the stadium's pitch. However, teams usually train inside the opposing team's stadium on the day before a European away game, both for the benefit of the media and to become familiar with the surface.

Training ground incidents

There have been several high-profile incidents, at training grounds, where players have been injured in disputes between teammates. ^[2] Joey Barton was given a suspended prison sentence, on 1 July 2008, for an assault on teammate Ousmane Dabo on Manchester City's training ground ^[3] and Andy Carroll broke teammate Steven Taylor's jaw in a fight. ^[4]

Gallery

• 
  Germany players Arne Friedrich and Bastian Schweinsteiger training, 2005
• 
  USA players training during the 2006 World Cup.
• 
  Manchester United players training at The Cliff, 1992
• 
  Lennoxtown, the training ground of Celtic F.C.

References

1. Pompey training ground approved, BBC Sport, 16 July 2008.
2. Curtis, Ben. "Training-ground bust-ups: the best of the best" ^{[ dead link ‍]}, The Times , 8 October 2008.
3. FA charges Barton over Dabo clash, BBC Sport, 31 July 2008.
4. The Times ^{[ dead link ‍]}

See also

For a list of all training grounds, see Category:Association football training grounds.

• Professional football training exercises and sessions
• Football (soccer) tactics and skills