THE FIRST signs of Spring over the past week or so have been a welcome sight for most people . . . especially the 'team' involved in the development of Stoke City's new £5 million training complex at Clayton Wood.

An improvement in the weather conditions and warmer temperatures have helped contractors to push on with the building programme for the state-of-the-art facility which is due for completion in the summer months.

The aim throughout the project has been to ensure that there is a minimal amount of disruption to training and playing schedules, both now during the current season and then in the build-up to the 2010/11 campaign.

Therefore, as the facility begins to take on an impressive look, the plan is to ensure that everything is in place and fully operational at Clayton Wood when the players report back to begin their pre-season preparations.

"We are still very much on course to complete the new training facility in time for the pre-season build-up even though the worst winter in 25 years certainly had some impact upon the build programme at the beginning of the year," explained Richard Smith, the Managing Director of Stoke City Property Ltd.

"The improvement in the weather of late has enabled the contractors to recover some of that lost time, which is most encouraging, but the key objective now is to make the building weather tight. Then, we will have more control over our own destiny and people will see the development move on at an even faster pace."

He added: "This should happen very soon and it will enable us to bring in essential services such as electricity and water, while the finishing tradesmen can also get to work on fitting out the internal parts of the building."

That will provide regular visitors to Clayton Wood with further evidence of what an impressive new complex the Club is developing to provide its players, coaches and management with the very best in training facilities.

The two-storey, 1,800 sq metre building will house changing rooms, medical facilities, kitchen and refectory area, as well as a hydrotherapy pool, gymnasium, media suite and offices for the management and staff.

"We wanted to create a facility that takes this Football Club to the next level in terms of our training facilities and best represents the standards that we are trying to achieve throughout the Club," commented Smith.

"The challenge was to develop a centre that looks impressive, but serves its purpose as a working environment seven days a week and we feel we have managed to achieve those objectives in terms of what we have created.

"Not only will it help us to retain our best players, it will also improve our chances of attracting new signings to strengthen the squad. We want them to think 'this is a place I want to come to' whether they are transfer targets for the first team squad or the youngsters and their parents who are looking at our Academy."

The development of the training facility and junior football pitches is the first phase of major work on Clayton Wood.

Once the new complex has been completed, the temporary buildings which currently house the changing rooms, gymnasium and dining area will be removed to make way for a new car park to be laid in its place.

Phase two will see the floodlighting of two pitches and the installation of a synthetic pitch, while looking further ahead there are plans to develop an indoor pitch and put in a pitch irrigation system to give the Club facilities on one site that underpins the training requirements of both the first team and the Academy.