AN £800,000 sports pavilion to be used by hundreds of young footballers in Oxford will be officially opened today.

The Cutteslowe Park changing room facility – which will be home to almost 400 Summertown Stars players and their opponents every week – will provide a clubroom, kitchen facilities and toilets.

The previous pavilion was mainly used for storage which left many of the club’s teams with nowhere to congregate or change.

The Summertown Stars, who have 47 teams based at the park, are one of the biggest sports clubs in Oxfordshire.

Chairman Gunnar Niels said the new pavilion would benefit many young players and spectators.

The “state-of-the-art” pavilion will include four team changing rooms, two changing rooms for referees, a clubroom, kitchen facilities and spectator toilets.

The project was made possible after the Premier League and The FA Facilities Fund, through the Football Foundation, awarded a grant of £348,828.

Oxford City Council part-funded the build through a £2m investment into pavilions in the city – which also included pavilions in Barton, Rose Hill, Headington and Blackbird Leys.

Mr Niels said the pavilion would also see spectators enjoying coffee and tea on the sidelines.

It will be officially opened in a small ceremony today at noon.