13812/2GAZETTE & HERALD: Sports mad Mark Austin will be encouraging everyone to make the most of Chippenham's new playing fields as part of his new job with the town council.

Mr Austin, 28, was appointed to the new post of Community Football Development Officer for the Stanley Park playing fields.

And part of his brief includes managing the facility and raising its profile within the local community.

"I shall be encouraging people of all abilities and ages to get involved," he said.

"Hopefully we shall have all sorts of coaching sessions and football festivals, and Stanley Park will be home ground for many local teams.

"It's a brilliant new facility and I can't help but get excited about its potential."

Prior to his appointment with the town council, Mr Austin was employed by Cornwall County Football Association as a member of their Community Football Development Coaching Team.

In that job he was responsible for organising, developing and coaching a very wide range of community football programmes and schemes at a grass roots level.

He has many years coaching experience and holds several recognised F.A coaching certificates.

He worked for a Cornish sports centre for five years and was awarded a degree in Education Studies, specialising in PE, by the University of Gloucestershire.

He said: "I am very excited at having the opportunity to manage and develop such a prestigious complex.

"It is my aim to make Chippenham's Stanley Park a facility of excellence for football and other sports within the area".

Although the playing fields will be used predominantly for football Mr Austin is keen to widen its use and wants to hear from other sports clubs keen to use the facility.

"We are open to suggestions and if anyone wants to get in touch with me, they are most welcome to," he said.

"We want to get as much usage out of it as we can."

Mr Austin is a very keen sportsman himself and has played football, rugby, tennis and swimming.

"I've had a go at lots of things and like to keep active," he said.

Stanley Park occupies a massive 47-acre site opposite Abbeyfields School.

It will provide a minimum of 13 quality football pitches and training grids plus a state of the art changing facility.

An education suite will be used to host coaching courses and will be made available to local schools.

Stanley Park will officially open at the end of October for the start of the 2004/2005 season.

It will be used by hundreds of sports enthusiasts each week.

Chippenham Town Council also wants to encourage football at a grass roots level and to promote women's football as well as other sports.

All the playing fields at Stanley Park have been completely seeded, amounting to around 30 acres, and the construction of the changing facilities is well underway.

In the first couple of years the turf will be treated gently so it has a good chance to get well established so use will not be 100 per cent and the pitches will be used in rotation.

The project was supported by town, district and county councils, with a £1 million grant from the Football Foundation.