A new indoor football venue has ‘scored’ with footballers of all ages in its first week back.

The former Soccer City venue at Waterloo opened as 5CORE Huddersfield on Monday and bookings have boomed even in Christmas week.

Soccer City didn’t re-open after lockdown in 2020 and the venue on the Tandem Industrial Estate had been closed for almost two years.

It had been missed by local footballers who loved a game with their mates every week.

Manager Amy Parry, who spent six years at Soccer City, said the old vibe was back and it was great to hear voices echoing around the cavernous building once again.

“It’s great to have the boom back and everybody is buzzing,” said Amy. “We’ve had a youth development programme in this week and leagues started back on Monday and Thursday nights.

“People are getting in touch all the time and we are incredibly busy. It’s a nice problem to have.”

Amy has a small team in place – managers Jack Adnitt and Nyryn Scott along with apprentices Dom Newton and Angelo Piscitelli – and more staff will follow in the New Year.

The venue has four brand new 4G pitches but renovation work on the building is still underway. The showers are being kept closed for Covid reasons and early next year it’s hoped the café will be open along with a sports bar upstairs.

The venue had planned to open in November but delays with contractors and the supply of materials meant the date had to be put back.

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“We were six weeks behind and we’re still a work in progress,” said Amy. “But we just wanted to open the doors and people have been straight back in.

“Everybody calls this place home – that’s how I feel about it too – and it’s great that people feel comfortable here.”

Now 5CORE is open Amy plans to make the most of it over the festive period. Opening times are as follows: Christmas Eve 10am-2pm; Christmas Day – closed; Boxing Day 10am-10pm; December 27-30 inclusive 10am-10pm; New Year’s Eve 10am-2pm; and New Year’s Day – closed.