Former home of Southwick FC to be transformed through multi-million pound project

Released: Tuesday, 17 March 2026

We've committed to delivering a modern football facility in Southwick, where local children and residents can enjoy playing the beautiful game.

Old Barn Way, the former home of Southwick Football Club, will be transformed into a multi-million pound community sports facility through an ambitious partnership between us and the Russell Martin Foundation, the Football Foundation, the Premier League Stadium Fund and West Sussex County Council.

Funding includes £2 million from the Football Foundation, which is supported by the FA, the Premier League and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

The project will see the installation of a full-size 3G football pitch alongside the development of a new single-storey clubhouse, complete with modern changing rooms, a bar and kitchen. In addition to grassroots football, the facility will host a range of health, wellbeing and education programmes designed to benefit the wider community.

The Russell Martin Foundation, a Sussex-based charity dedicated to improving the lives of young people and adults through football and education, is central to the delivery of the scheme. The charity, founded by former Norwich City, Rangers and Scotland footballer Russell Martin, recently won Best Sports Community Scheme of 2025 at the Sports Business Awards.

We have been working in partnership with the Russell Martin Foundation since 2021 to redevelop the ground at Old Barn Way. Initial proposals received planning permission in 2023 but it became clear that a number of site constraints had not been fully addressed in the original proposals. The revised plans now present a comprehensive vision for the scheme as a whole.

Councillor Jeremy Gardner, the leader of Adur District Council, said:

“This is a major investment in Southwick and in the future of grassroots football in our district.

“We're determined to deliver a high-quality, sustainable facility that gives young people the opportunity to be active, develop their skills and feel part of a positive community environment.

“By working closely with the project partners, we have refined the plans to ensure they are both ambitious and deliverable. We're proud to be moving this project forward and excited about the lasting benefits it will bring to residents.”

Alan Sanders, the chief executive of the Russell Martin Foundation, said:

“We are incredibly excited about the prospect of running what will be a fantastic community facility, serving as a centre for football as well as a range of education and health programmes. Many local people will be aware of the fantastic reputation Southwick had as a football club, and it will be our aim to match its past glories.”

Robert Sullivan, the chief executive of the Football Foundation, said:

“The Football Foundation is working closely with our partners – the Premier League, the FA and the government – to transform the quality of grassroots facilities in England by delivering projects like this across the country.

“Good quality playing facilities have a transformative impact on physical and mental health and play an important role in bringing people together and strengthening local communities.

“This grant award towards developing Old Barn Way is fantastic news for the local community in Sussex and will help give more people access to a great place to play.”

Work to begin delivering the new-look Old Barn Way is expected to start this summer.