Chipping Norton Swifts Football Club is enjoying a welcome boost this season thanks to two new player shelters donated and installed by public transport infrastructure specialists Externiture Ltd.
The structures, now in place at the club’s Greystones ground, have been finished in the Swifts’ colours and designed with practical features including integrated cup holders on the back of the front panel and clearly marked “Home” and “Away” signs.
The dugouts have already proved their worth as colder weather settles in, offering players and coaching staff much-needed protection from the elements during training sessions and match days.
The shelters were officially unveiled at the start of the season, a moment made even more memorable by the club’s under-13 girls’ team, who opened their campaign with an emphatic 10–0 win. After the match, the squad visited the new dugouts for a closer look and were quick to give them their enthusiastic seal of approval.
In a post on their website, the club extended heartfelt thanks to all sponsors for their support, writing:
“Our pitches looked immaculate on opening weekend, and our teams were proud to step out in new goals and fresh kits. The pitches looked fantastic, and the new dugouts made a glorious addition pitch side. A big thank you to Externiture for their generous contribution.”
Externiture representatives Beth Heron and Craig Walker, who both attended the match to watch Heron’s daughter play, said the donation is rooted in a desire to support the community in a meaningful way. Heron commented:
“As a family, it’s always wonderful to see our daughter and her teammates enjoy the club and their matches. As a company, we are delighted to give something back to the community in which we work. These shelters will make a real difference to both home and visiting teams for years to come — especially now as the weather turns colder.”
Externiture, based in West Berkshire and holding an infrastructure contract with Oxfordshire County Council, has already delivered much of Oxfordshire’s public transport infrastructure.
Its sponsorship of the Swifts forms part of the company’s broader commitment to supporting local organisations and improving community facilities in the regions where it operates.
