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Hibernian chairman Rod Petrie has told Scotland Today the creation of a training academy will help rear and entice top players at Easter Road. The club today unveiled plans for a Ł3 million state of the art facility which should be up and running in 2007.

Traveling in a mini-bus to one of the city's public parks is far from ideal preparation for the playing and coaching staff at Hibernian, but come next year this daily routine could become a thing of the past.

Instead they will train in state of the art facilities in East Lothian which will boast changing facilities, a gym, an indoor synthetic pitch and ten full size grass pitches.

Hibernian Chairman Rod Petrie said: "Obviously being able to find a facility which will provide a training centre really in perpetuity for the club is a fantastic step forward. It means that every penny we spend on it will be there as a legacy for the benefit of years to come."

The academy will cost around Ł3 million and, subject to planning permission, will be up and running in 2007. The creation of the club facility is something the manager has been banging on about for quite some time.

Rod Petrie said: "said: "Tony and the coaching staff have been involved in the development of our plans along the way.
It's important that we create a facility that he's happy with. Of course, everybody's delighted that we were able to move forward together on this. I think Tony's said over the weekend that he's got unfinished business at Easter Road and the quality of the players, the quality of the facilities -
not just the training centre that's being created - but also the Easter Road stadium and everything we do. We are a proper football club making progress year on year, and everybody's delighted to be here and be part of it."

Rod Petrie knows that Mowbray's stock is rising and former Middlesbrough striker Bernie Slaven called on the Boro board to offer Mowbray the manager's job at Teeside. Whether that happens is another matter, one thing is for sure is that the production of more young talent at Easter Road will gather pace with the creation of this state-of-the-art facility.