'Elite level training base' plan unveiled for Magpies

NOTTS County have announced plans to develop Highfields Sports Complex into an "elite-level training base" in collaboration with the University of Nottingham.

- By SAM ALLEN

The club want a dedicated location they can use away from Meadow Lane to make the day-to-day preparations easier for players and staff.

An exact replica of Meadow Lane's hybrid SIS pitch will be installed, with extensive drainage work carried out on two other pitches.

A state-of-the-art gym will also be constructed at the Highfields site, along with changing rooms, meeting spaces and offices to remove the need for players and staff to travel to Meadow Lane before and after training.

Notts chief executive Joe Palmer said: "The lack of a permanent training base has been one of the biggest challenges facing the club for many years - so this announcement is hugely important.