A KNIGHT of the realm was the guest of honour at the opening of a £1.5m state-of-the-art football facility.

Long Lane FC, who play their football at the newly revamped complex in Dursley Road, Kidbrooke, welcomed Sir Trevor Brooking to their ranks last week in his role as director of football development at the FA.

Despite his former club West Ham's heavy defeat at Cardiff the previous night, Sir Trevor was in high spirits as he signed autographs for fans young and housewives old.

In between signatures, he told News Shopper: "The Football Foundation's grant should ensure Long Lane youngsters will be able to enjoy good, safe and, perhaps most importantly of all, fun football for many years to come."

He added: "I think it's important to get out and see the impact that schemes such as this, funded by the Football Foundation, can have within communities.

"Schemes such as this at Long Lane are about encouraging everyone regardless of age, gender or ability to play the game.

"It is about offering opportunities and making sport an enjoyable experience.

"Obviously if talent emerges from these clubs then that's an added bonus, but one of our primary goals is to raise the levels of participation in the game rather than encourage elitism."

As well as officially unveiling the facilities, Brooking was also on hand to present a Barclays Local Hero award and a cheque for £1,000 to the club's chief executive Mick Northwood, who according to chairman Frank Kent is "Mr Long Lane".

Kent said: "Mick is heavily involved in every aspect of the day-to-day running of the club, right down to the cutting of the half-time oranges. Without him, the club wouldn't be where it is today."

His words were echoed by Charlton Athletic chief executive Peter Varney, who said: "Thanks in large part to Mick Northwood's energy and drive, Long Lane now not only offers youngsters the chance to play football, but also provides first-class facilities in which they can learn about the game.

"A lot of other people have also given of their time generously, and I cannot commend them highly enough for what they've achieved.

"In spite of a number of hurdles in the early days they never lost their focus and determination to succeed, and are a real credit to the sport we all love."

For his part Northwood, who has been part of the club's fabric for the past 22 years, took the opportunity to thank "all the wonderful people without whose help Long Lane couldn't survive."

He added: "A big thank you is also due to the Football Foundation, whose support, both moral and financial, has been invaluable."

Three years ago a grant of nearly £1m was presented by the Foundation to the club, who used the money to build a new clubhouse and ten changing rooms, lay 19 acres of pitches and three new floodlit artificial pitches.

As a direct result, the club currently boasts no fewer than 38 sides, seven of which are girls' teams, plying their trade across a total of six different leagues.

One former player Luke Ridgewell, an England under-23 international currently on Aston Villa's books, recalled the good old days.

He said: "As a Long Lane old boy, I'm delighted the club now has these outstanding new facilities.

"I can remember playing in some pretty awful conditions as a youngster, but thanks to the Football Foundation the next generation of Long Lane players are getting the best possible start in the game."

The Foundation is the UK's largest sports charity with an annual income of some £45m provided by the Premier League, the FA, Sport England and the government.

Other funds for the redevelopment of the complex were provided by the club itself, the Marathon Trust, Greenwich Council and the South Greenwich Re-Generation Agency.