The new indoor centre at Blackburn Rovers has officially reopened its doors to the public after refurbishment works costing nearly £400,000.

The indoor centre at Ewood Park, commonly known as the BRIC, has been closed for just under 12 months to improve the facility.

The redevelopment was made possible thanks to a £165,000 grant from the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation. Blackburn with Darwen Council provided a further £50,000 towards the works.

Ahead of last weekend’s Sky Bet Championship match against Sheffield Wednesday, Blackburn Rovers Community Trust hosted an opening ceremony with the Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, Phil Riley, former Blackburn Rovers strikers Rudy Gestede and Matt Derbyshire in attendance. 

The indoor centre is owned by Blackburn Rovers Football Club and is managed by the club’s official charity who operate and manage the facility.

The refurbishment has seen the installation of state-of-the-art 4G football pitches, new and improved energy-saving lighting, classrooms, ventilation and access, decoration throughout, and a new entrance and reception area.

The centre was used by Sir Kenny Dalglish’s Premier League-winning team as their training ground during the 1994-95 campaign. However, due to the high volume of usage, the club and the community trust identified the need for modernisation.

Blackburn Rovers Community Trust Chief Executive, Gary Robinson, said: “The Blackburn Rovers Indoor Centre means a lot to our community. Generations of families have used the facility and we are looking forward to welcoming the next generation of families that will benefit from this important community asset. 

“The facility is very much focused on Blackburn Rovers Football Club, as it is their facility. 

"The Indoor Centre could have been used for other purposes but with Blackburn Rovers being such a family-focused football club, we wanted to make sure the Indoor Centre continued to be a community hub.

“The club have entrusted the facility to the community trust and we received grants to complete the refurbishment.

“To think that the Premier League-winning team trained here, it further raises the profile of the facility and it is special to know that legends of the club trained here."

Robert Sullivan, chief executive of the Football Foundation, said: “The Football Foundation is working closely with our partners – the Premier League, The FA and Government – to transform the quality of grassroots facilities in England by delivering projects like this across the country. 

“Good quality playing facilities have a transformative impact on physical and mental health and play an important role in bringing people together and strengthening local communities. 

“This grant award to Blackburn Rovers FC and Blackburn Rovers Community Trust towards refurbishing their indoor centre is fantastic news for the local community and will help give more people access to a great place to play.”