It’s no secret that the grassroots level of both sport and music is where it all begins, and making sure young people have opportunities in the pair will never stop being vital.
Enter Stormzy, one of the most celebrated and important musicians of the last decade in London and an avid football fan. The rapper, who hails from Croydon, is opening a brand new football centre, the #MerkyFC HQ, in the borough which is also complete with a recording studio.
Unveiling the centre and studio today, Stormzy hopes to provide chances in both football and music for young people in London. New facilities have been built on the existing Selhurst Sports Sports Arena, and anyone heading to use the new spot will find football pitches (including a new 3G space) , sports gaming room (for EA Sports FC tournaments!), a recording studio to use for musicians and podcasters, as well as a conference room.
Speaking on the new space, Stormzy said: “I’ve wanted to do this for a long, long time and now there’s a community space that everyone in the area will be able to use and benefit from.
“When I was growing up there was nothing like this around for young people, so it means a lot that we now have a facility like this in Croydon.”
There will be events hosted all year round, with a number of educational opportunities and activities due to take place at the space, which is to be managed by the Communities First Foundation charity and see further investment from Adidas.
The HQ for #MerkyFC comes after the programme set up in 2022 to provide opportunities to UK Black Heritage Youth – which has already provided 60 people be placed into roles across the industry – get access to football jobs.
Find out more about #MerkyFC HQ here. The centre will be open every day between 8am – 10pm, and you’ll find it at Dagnall Park, SE25 5PH.