Blue is the colour in a corner of Vale resort.

Byline: Gareth GRIFFITHS 

A BLUE Christmas has come early for Cardiff's top rugby and football stars.

Cardiff City and the Blues region have been handed a new pounds 10m training facility that was officially launched at the Vale of Glamorgan hotel resort yesterday.

The new home for the two organisations is part of a multi-million pound investment into sport facilities at the hotel resort in order to support the development of elite sport.

It is partofa40-acresporting site at the Vale which includes six international standard training pitches for soccer and rugby including a 3G artificial pitch.

The Blues and Cardiff City's training headquarters will be based at the new three-storey Vale Pavilion, which houses state-of-the-art facilities including fitness zones and conditioning areas, medical and physio rooms, office and boardroom facilities, players lounges, meeting rooms, refectories and changing areas.

The Blues will have a dedicated training pitch and skills zone while the Bluebirds will have the use of two football pitches, plus two training zones that also serve the FAW.

It is a far cry from a few years ago when City manager Dave Jones and Blues coach Dai Young criticised the fact they were forced to travel around South Wales to find training bases.

And Bluebirds chairman Peter Ridsdale is hoping this new facility can propel his side to the Premiership.

"It is a very special day for Cardiff City," said Ridsdale.

"We are delighted in securing state of the art training facilities which are second to none.

"This is a magnificent facility that can match those of some of the Premiership sides.

"Our new training base combined with our new stadium due to open in August 2009, means that we now have facilities in keeping with our ambition to become a Premier League football club.

He added: "It was not so long ago when we were trying to sign and keep players but showing them training facilities that were literally out of a portable building.

"We were actually trying to hide the training facilities before we were signing players.

"We were trying to act like a professional football club but we were doing that with both hands tied behind our backs.

"Now we can be proud of what we show people."

And Ridsdale also welcomed another significant tie-up with the Blues ahead of the two teams sharing the new Leckwith stadium from next season.

"It is also special because we are sharing the training facility with Cardiff Blues as we are in the magnificent new stadium," added Ridsdale.

"We are both making tremendous progress on the field and we are being helped by this development off it.

"This is a milestone day in the city which we are proud to be a part of.

"We all need to be proud of the sporting heritage of Cardiff."

Ridsdale's comments were echoed by Blues chief executive Robert Norster.

"The opening of this new facility provides another very important step forward for the Cardiff Blues," he added.

"The new training centre is a world-class facility suitable for any team playing at the highest level of professional sport.

"We have already seen the team make significant progress over the past few seasons, and I have no doubt this centre will prove to be a vital component in the ongoing development of David Young, his coaching staff and the wider team.

"The move sees us advance from a good training facility to a great one and our thanks must go to Gerald and Stephen Leeke and the Vale Hotel for their continued support and commitment to our cause and indeed that of our national sport.

"They have been visionaries for Welsh sport."

The Blues chief admitted the rugby region had to endure a lot of pain before arriving at their new home.

"It has been a long time coming and we have to overcome a lot of obstacles along the way," added Norster.

"It is the culmination of so many efforts and it has been a long haul for us "We have been like wandering minstrels, waifs and strays around Cardiff where we have been beg stealing and borrowing.

"But that is no longer the case.

"What this provides us with is the best professional facilities and it is great to be able to have everything on one site.

"It is the start of an important process as we look forward to the new stadium."

Stephen Leeke, managing director of the Vale resort, welcomed the new development and the presence of both clubs on the hotel site.

"The ambition at the Vale has been to create a centre of sporting excellence with some of the best leisure and sporting facilities available in Europe," said Leeke.

"We have been working closely over the past three years with the Blues and Cardiff City to design an environment which suits the needs of modern sports professionals and coaching staff.

"We are delighted to working in close partnership with two of Wales' most successful sports clubs in the pursuit of their ambitions to perform at the very top of their game."

[e-mail]

CAPTION(S):

SHAPING UP: The football and rugby pitches; TEAM TALK: Cardiff Blues changing room; FITNESS: The weights room and, below, the physiotherapy room; STATE-OF-THE-ART: Cardiff City and Cardiff Blues have unveiled a new pounds 10m 40-acre sporting sight at Vale Hotel in Hensol. Pictured is the Blues' new kit room; BLUE FUTURE: From left, Cardiff Blues chief executive Bob Norster, Vale Resort managing director Stephen Leeke and Cardiff City chairman Peter Ridsdale