Springfield Stadium: Jersey's new synthetic pitch officially opened

Springfield Stadium will host football matches at the 2015 Island Games

The first 3G synthetic football pitch in Jersey has been officially opened.

The new surface at Springfield Stadium was officially inaugurated in a ceremony on Monday.

The pitch is the first major redevelopment of the island's "national" stadium since it was rebuilt in 1997 for the Island Games.

The pitch, which was not ready for the planned first match on it earlier this month, will host games at this summer's Island Games, which Jersey is hosting.

"It's a magnificent facility," FA vice-chairman Barry Bright told BBC Radio Jersey.

"Yes, over £1m has been spent, but it's a tremendous surface and it's going to be used by 1,000 people a week."

The new pitch will improve the development of the game in the island, according to Jersey's director of football Brian Little.

The former Leicester and Aston Villa manager added: "As a coach, you know when you go on a surface like this that if you put at training session on and it doesn't work, it's probably your fault.

"It's a massive plus for the island, I think. The young players especially will enjoy it, and given time I think the older players will begin to appreciate that they can have a proper game on here."