Stoke City FC first team move into new £10M training facility delivered by Speller Metcalfe
Stoke City Football Club’s first team have officially moved into their new elite training facility at Clayton Wood, following the completion of the £10 million development delivered by Speller Metcalfe.
The new two-storey facility is situated on the southern part of the Clayton Wood site and has been created as a purpose-built, high-performance environment for the men’s first team.
Designed by AFL Architects, the new centre combines modern sports science, medical and wellbeing spaces within a contemporary setting.
The building includes a hydrotherapy suite with a swimming pool, plunge pools and a sauna, alongside a cryotherapy chamber to support advanced recovery and rehabilitation. A fully equipped gymnasium, new changing rooms, and modern medical facilities provide an upgraded performance environment.
These specialist areas are complemented by a range of supporting spaces, including facilities that assist the club’s nutrition programme and daily training operations, allowing the complex to function as a fully integrated high-performance hub.
With the first team now settling into the new facility, focus will turn to the second phase of the Clayton Wood development, which involves refurbishing the former first-team training facility. Once complete, that building will become the new home of Stoke City’s Category One Academy and the Stoke City women’s team.
Together, the two phases represent a significant investment in the future of the club, with total expenditure set to exceed £25 million, the first team facility alone representing the largest single‑project outlay since the construction of the bet365 Stadium in 1997.
“This is a significant step for the football club and it fills me with great pride to see our new first team training facility in operation for the first time,” Chair of Stoke City FC, John Coates said.
“Stoke City is my passion and I will continue to do everything in my power to ensure our players and staff have the best environment possible to make us successful.
“Clearly the facilities need to be matched by a culture of relentless hard work, which Jon Walters and Mark Robins continue to drive every day, in our long-term pursuit of being better than we have ever been before.”
Rob Lashford, regional director at Speller Metcalfe said: “This project has been a standout moment for us, as a business, in the Stoke area. Collaborating with Stoke City Football Club to bring this state-of-the-art training facility to life has showcased what can be achieved when ambition and teamwork align.
“We’re delighted to have created a space that supports elite performance and reflects the club’s commitment to excellence on and off the pitch and will inspire players and staff for many years to come.”
Potters’ Vice-Chairman Richard Smith added: “It was a great feeling to see the excitement of players and staff as they moved into the new building this week.
“A lot of dedication has been required by many people to move this project forward at pace and I would like to thank our staff for their significant contribution to the development.
“As always seems to be the case here at Stoke City, thanks to John’s continued investment, our next projects start in earnest with the renovation of the existing pavilion and continued works at the bet365 Stadium.”
