Stormzy opens his football, gaming and music centre, #MerkyFC HQ, in London
The Croydon space will provide access to football, music and gaming facilities for local communities.
By Nick Reilly
Stormzy has revealed that he’s teamed up with Adidas to create a new centre for football, music and gaming.
#MerkyFC HQ has been built in Croydon, South London and will provide the local community with access to top facilities including football pitches, a recording studio, a sports gaming hub and multipurpose rooms.
The centre, which opens tomorrow (May 3) has been build on the site known as Selhurst Sports Arena – which provides access to sports and employment support.
The investment from Adidas will allow the venue to host a selection of activities throughout the year and access to development in local communities.
It comes after Stormzy and Adidas previously teamed up on the #MerkyFC Careers programme to address racial equality and access to jobs for for UK Black Heritage Youth within football.
“I’m gassed that we can finally open the doors to #Merky FC HQ. Working with Adidas, 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,” Stormzy said of the new development. “When I was growing up there was nothing like this around for young people, so it means a lot that we now have a facility like this in Croydon. Proper homegrown!”
Steve Marks, Senior Director of Brand Communications for Adidas shared a similar sentiment, adding: “We’re proud to launch #MerkyFC HQ the next chapter in Adidas’ ongoing partnership with Stormzy. Supporting the development of spaces for the local community to connect, play and collaborate is a vital part of our ongoing drive to cultivate opportunities for young people.”
“The centre is a space for everyone including those who enjoy taking part in football, but also for the discovery of other creative passions such as music and esports,” he added.