M
illwall have purchased "a significant area of land" in
Kent with a view to building new training facilities which would be "amongst the best in the
country", the club has announced.
The Championship outfit have appointed architects and hope to submit a full planning application for the training centre in West Kingsdown within a year.
The Lions currently train at Calmont Road in
Bromley but the club doesn’t own the facility and the lease is due to expire in the coming years.
Chief executive Steve Kavanagh said if the new training ground became a reality it would be "a huge step forward for the club on and off the pitch" but added that it was impossible to know at this stage how long it could take to complete.
"Greater synergy between our first team and academy set-ups is an imperative objective, as is the enhancing links between the football and business sides of the club," Kavanagh said in a statement.
"More generally the aim is to build and maintain training facilities which are amongst the best in the country. This will enable us to improve our own players to maximise their individual and collective potential and to become a more attractive proposition to new recruits across all departments.
"The obvious question is ‘how long will this all take?’. The truth is it is impossible to say at this stage, but we are conscious that the lease on the site at Calmont Road doesn’t have too many years left to run. I liken this to buying a house; once it all goes through you want to move in as soon as you can. This is no different and it’s never straightforward.
"What we cannot afford to do is be complacent about any of this and it is crucial to take one step at a time. Next up is the task of submitting a full planning application and then following the formal process necessary within that."
Kavanagh also updated supporters on plans to expand The Den, saying the club remained in talks with the local council about leasing land around the Bermondsey ground.
"We remain in discussions with Lewisham Council over securing a 250-year lease on the pockets of land around The Den, so that we can both future-proof the club at its current home and have license to develop the areas in question as part of the wider development of New Bermondsey," Kavanagh said."Obtaining that long lease is absolutely imperative for the club and not until it is secured formally, can we move to next stages including submitting any planning application."
