The Arsenal Training Centre – called the Sobha Realty Training Centre due to sponsorship – has been Arsenal’s training ground since Arsene Wenger oversaw a move in October 1999.
Gunners chiefs sought to open a new facility to bring together the Arsenal first-team squad and academy ranks under one roof. The complex is also one of the best in the country with players having access to an array of pitches and facilities to operate at their best potential.
Arsenal have always been a team that prides itself on preparation and puts great emphasis on training. So, they have continually kept their Arsenal Training Centre at a high standard. The England national squad even used it as their training ground between 2003 and 2012.
Arsenal training ground name
Arsenal’s training ground is officially called the Arsenal Training Centre but has taken on the name Sobha Realty Training Centre since February 2024 due to sponsorship. It is also more commonly referred to as London Colney owing to the club’s site’s location in Hertfordshire.
The complex also sits adjacent to Arsenal’s previous training ground, which their first-team used between 1961 and 1999. Wenger oversaw a move to London Colney in October 1999, with the site also 30 miles away from the Gunners’ current home ground Emirates Stadium.
Sobha Realty (pronounced: Sho-ba) reached an agreement with Arsenal to become the first brand to sponsor the Gunners’ training ground in 2024. The Dubai-based luxury real estate developer signed a multi-year and multi-million-pound contract to secure the naming rights.
Juliet Slot, Arsenal’s chief commercial officer at the time of the deal, prided it on handing the Gunners a partnership with a ‘dynamic business’. Edu, the club’s sporting director, also said it was an ‘exciting agreement’ that helps Arsenal realise areas to expand their training ground.
The Arsenal Training Centre has 10 full-size pitches
The Arsenal Training Centre features 10 full-size football pitches, all of which have undersoil draining and an automated sprinkler system. Arsenal also installed undersoil heating for two of the pitches. While the ‘10th pitch’ is designated for friendlies and their academy fixtures.
The Arsenal first-team only use three of the pitches at the club’s training ground with three designated for the Gunners’ junior teams and three for Arsenal’s Under-21 squad. But each pitch was designed and is maintained to the same standard as the one at Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal also finished a major redevelopment project at their training ground in 2017 as they added the David Rocastle indoor sports hall. It features a 4G pitch and a wrap-around design aimed at replicating the atmosphere of playing matches at Emirates Stadium for the squads.
Wenger and his coaching staff at the time played crucial roles in establishing the blueprints for Arsenal’s training ground. The Gunners have also continually invested in maintaining the 143-acre site’s status as one of the best training grounds in England in the following years.
What facilities does Arsenal’s training ground have?
Along with 10 full-size pitches, Arsenal’s training ground features an array of state-of-the-art facilities. The Gunners have invested in the Arsenal Training Centre since its construction for £10m from 1998 to 1999 with the addition of several rehabilitation tools and sports options.
Arsenal have medical and rehabilitation facilities on site including massage rooms, a hydro-therapy pool, a weight room, a swimming pool and state-of-the-art gyms. They have added squash and basketball courts to the complex too, plus the David Rocastle indoor sports hall.
The building first opened back in July 2007 but Arsenal added an analysts’ suite, offices and classrooms to their complex. It also has changing rooms, further medical space, a restaurant and a recreational area. While Arsenal in the Community also use the club’s training ground.
Arsenal used to train at University College London
Before the Arsenal Training Centre became Arsenal’s training ground in 1999, the Gunners ground shared with the University College London (UCL). Watford now make use of those facilities on the Shenley Sports grounds. It is also adjacent to the Arsenal Training Centre.
Arsenal started using the UCL site from 1961 in order to protect the playing surface at their former stadium, Highbury. The Gunners used to train at the ground and make use of an on-site gym. While players would even train by running through the streets around the ground.
Address
Arsenal Training Centre address: Bell Lane, London Colney, Shenley, Radlett, AL2 1DR
