Member Article

Solicitors help former Boro player deal up new community football facility

Tilly Bailey & Irvine Solicitors has helped a former Middlesbrough footballer fulfil his dream of giving youngsters a state-of-the-art football training facility on their doorstep.

Jamie Pollock, who played for Middlesbrough between 1994 and 1997, has transformed the former Territorial Army barracks at Brambles Farm, Longlands Road, Middlesbrough into a new football facility which can be used by the whole community.

Top Corner will open on 1st November, 2013. It provides a full size astro-turf pitch, six 5-a-side pitches, and an indoor pitch, as well as social facilities including a bar and café, and party or function rooms. Future plans for Top Corner include a soft-play area and nursery. As well as offering pitches for hire, Jamie is relocating his football academy to Top Corner.

Sara Garnett, Commercial Property Solicitor with Tilly Bailey & Irvine Solicitors, worked with Jamie’s company to complete the purchase of Brambles Farm for the planned Football Academy, and leisure facility.

Sara said: “It has been a real pleasure to work on this project. Jamie’s vision has driven it, and it’s been really exciting to watch the transformation taking place. This area of land had become quite run down. Jamie has given it a new lease of life, with fantastic new facilities which will benefit everyone around. The young footballers obviously admire him greatly. He has an amazing skill for coaching each and every child to play the best football they possibly can.”

Jamie commented: “Sara and Tilly Bailey & Irvine Solicitors couldn’t have done any more for us to make Top Corner a reality. Inevitably any deal like this is relatively complex, but Sara dealt with any queries, took away the stress and was a huge help in us getting to where we are now, ready for our official opening.

“Top Corner has so many potential uses, which will be of great value to the local community. It is already being used by the school across the road which was lacking sports facilities, and can be used all year round for football training, and many other events. It’s great that, already, there is so much interest and support from the local community. We can’t wait to open.”

It was announced in 2009 that the Brambles Farm TA regiment was to close. The site had remained vacant since.

Tilly Bailey & Irvine Solicitors is the Tees Valley’s largest full service law firm with offices in Hartlepool, Wynyard Park, Stockton on Tees and Barnard Castle. For further information, contact Tilly Bailey & Irvine Solicitors on 0800 052 6824.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tilly Bailey and Irvine Solictors .