Representatives of the Board of Directors, along with Director of Football Lennie Lawrence, First Team Coach Paul Trollope and six members of Rovers first team squad were present at the unveiling of the club's new training facilities at the Bristol Sports Centre, Imperial Sports Ground, Brislington this afternoon.

Vice Chairman Nick Higgs told bristolrovers.co.uk that the club had been searching for a new training base for some time.

"We have been looking for over a year now and it's been on our minds, and definitely that of the management team, that we should find a training base back in Bristol. However finding facilities that meet with the exacting standards of the Football League is always difficult, but we became involved with South Bristol Sports Centre just over a year ago and we've been talking with them ever since and we are now delighted to announce that this is where we will be training.

"We've signed a five year lease on these premises, which gives us some stability, and it will be nice not to have to worry about moving training facilities yet again as we continue to look at other issues."

The announcement regarding the new training facilities is welcome news, following the delay in the Memorial Stadium regeneration scheme.

"The Directors are looking at a number of issues, and this was one of them. We were running this in tandem with the Memorial Stadium regeneration and, unfortunately, we have had a setback there but hopefully it will only be a temporary setback."

The facilities at Brislington are certainly impressive.

"The main training pitch has been laid to a very high standard and we intend to have it marked out to exactly the same size as the Memorial Stadium pitch, which will be a tremendous help to the management and the team when preparing for matches. We have exclusive use of that pitch and the training area alongside it.

"In addition we will have access to a full size all weather pitch and to two more pitches, which will also be used on Saturdays by our U-16 and U-18 sides. Internally, we have changing rooms, a physio room, a kit store area, the manager's office, gymnasium, weights room and studio, so we have all the facilities we need under one roof.

That's something we wanted, and we also wanted to bring the U-16 and U-18 sides to play their matches here but the specification for the pitch, the usage and the ability to be able to rotate facilities, in conjunction with the groundsman, as well as having everything on site, have been of paramount importance and Paul and Lennie have been involved in all of those discussions.

"It helps that one of the Board members of the Bristol Sports Centre is a former football director, who understands what training facilities are all about!"

The move back to Bristol is scheduled to take place in early autumn.

"The intention at the moment is that Rovers complete their pre season programme at Colerne, and we have signed a lease to come here from the end of September.

"I think we have tip top facilities here and we have a good base for the next five years and, hopefully, beyond that."