Adidas and Stormzy have joined forces to launch a brand-new multipurpose space in Croydon housing a football club, a recording studio, and a sports gaming hub. The facility, known as the Merky FC HQ, which opens today on May 2, will be located on the present football site Selhurst Sports Arena, run by the Communities First Foundation charity.
The newly renovated center will feature multipurpose rooms and essential community facilities like a new 3G pitch and a “state-of-the-art” recording studio. The center aims to create a community hub for socializing and provide development opportunities in careers and education, particularly for young people. The studio will offer a platform for aspiring artists to record their music. The multipurpose rooms throughout Mekry HQ will accommodate “multimedia uses,” including podcasting and gaming events.
The partnership has also created sports gaming rooms in collaboration with EA SPORTS, equipped with new consoles, racing simulators, and computers. The project follows the launch of the Merky FC Careers programme in 2022, which aims to tackle racial inequality in the football industry off-pitch. The project will give opportunities to the UK Black Heritage Youth to access football jobs. Since it’s launched two years ago, the program has successfully placed more than 60 people in various roles within the industry.
Merky FC HQ hopes to bring young people into the facility and create opportunities for personal and career development. The recording studio and the multimedia rooms can be used by aspiring artists, while the sports gaming rooms are open for the gaming community. Stormzy expressed his excitement at the opening, saying, “I’m gassed that we can finally open the doors of #Merky FC HQ. I’ve wanted to do this for a long, long time, and now there’s a community space that everyone in the area will be able to use and benefit from.” Find out more about the Merky FC HQ here, and check out some pictures of the center, below
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