by Baseball Softball UK, www.baseballsoftballuk.com
It looks like baseball and softball will finally have a home in South East England. BSUK expects to break ground in February 2012 for a major facility development project at Farnham Park near Slough that will result in four dedicated fields that can be used for baseball, fastpitch and slowpitch play.
Come the start of the 2013 season, it should all be in place at the southern end of Farnham Park.
The Farnham Park facility is located in Slough, easily accessible from the M25, M4 and M40.
Plans currently being finalised will see the site developed to have four softball and two baseball fields. Three of the softball fields will have skinned (dirt) infields, dugouts, backstops and possibly even some bleacher seating. The fourth softball field will have a grass infield, backstop and dugouts, and will play out of the corner of the main baseball diamond. The softball diamonds will be suitable for use, with minor modifications, for slowpitch, fastpitch and youth baseball.
Baseball will have a fully-enclosed main field, hopefully (money allowing) with concrete dugouts and all the features of a European club-level facility. There will also be a second baseball diamond with a backstop and dugouts to enable tournaments to be played on the site.
All these fields will have high-quality playing surfaces that will be regularly maintained to keep them in top condition. Temporary fencing kept permanently on site will allow rapid conversion of fields from one format to another. There will be storage facilities near the diamonds for equipment and the temporary fencing, and perhaps even a small concession stand.
All of this only needs a few more t’s crossed and i’s dotted to become a reality, and that should happen just before and just after Christmas. Contractors are being sought and designs costed, though some of these plans are dependent on the extent of available funding.
The ground-breaking ceremony should follow in February 2012.
Some parts of the development should be able to see some play during the 2012 season, but the full project will be ready for Opening Day in 2013.
For more information visit www.baseballsoftballuk.com