A £730,000 football clubhouse will be put to the test for the first time this weekend as Hinksey Park Football Club hosts its biggest tournament day.

The Grandpont pavillion, off Whitehouse Road, South Oxford, is set to be used by more than 300 people on Saturday.

The building, which opened in July, was built using a £631,000 grant from Oxford City Council and £99,000 from the Premier League and the FA Facilities Fund.

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But since it opened, the club’s seven teams – for boys aged between five and 17 – have played all their matches at other grounds.

This weekend all the teams will be playing home matches, making it the most the club has ever run simultaneously.

Club secretary Mick Conmy said: “It’s going to be the biggest day in our history.

“There will be 70 players from our teams, then 70 from the others and parents and family for every player, so it’s going to be a lot of people.

“It’s going to be a launch of the clubhouse for us.”

The pavilion has four changing rooms, toilets, a club room and kitchen and was the first new football clubhouse in Oxford since Cowley Marsh 18 years ago.

The city council has set aside £3.1m for other pavilions in Blackbird Leys, Cowley Marsh, Barton and Cutteslowe.

Mr Conmy said: “I’m quite nervous, it’s going to be a big operation to pull off.

“It’s about coming together as a community. The clubhouse will be a place to form friendships and links amongst different groups of people.”

Hinksey Park has been Oxford’s fastest-growing club for the last five years, with a 20 per cent rise in players every year.

The club is also starting girls’ teams.

He said: “Women’s football is a great area to improve wellbeing and getting all members of society involved.”

The club wants girls in school years eight, nine and 10 for its new under-15 girls’ team.

For more information about the club, email Mr Conmy on hinkseyparkfc@gmail.com

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