FARNBOROUGH Hill has welcomed back sporting heroine and former pupil Alex Danson to open the new artificial pitch named in her honour.

Danson is a long-standing and much honoured member of the Team GB hockey squad and Farnborough Hill has an enviable reputation for sport. The Farnborough-based school wants girls to enjoy their sport, whether they are elite sportswomen competing at national level or girls having fun, and it aims to promote a lifelong enjoyment of sport.

Many girls participate in hockey, both curricular and extra-curricular, according to a school spokesman.

A floodlit artificial turf hockey pitch was much needed given the changes in the modern game, in fact girls in the competitive teams have been bussed to an alternative pitch for practice in recent years.

Farnborough Hill headeacher Sarah Buckle has been keen to ensure that the plans for the pitch enabled it to blend in with its environment.

To this end the pitch, fencing and lighting are all green and the pitch blends into the beautiful parkland superbly. There are high hopes at the school that the new pitch will enable it to produce another player of Danson’s calibre.

There was a real air of excitement and anticipation as the whole school, together with governors and parents, assembled on the new hockey pitch. The ceremony began with a blessing conducted by Reverend Father Tony Sultana, the school’s parish priest, after which Danson, who used to play for Alton, officially opened the pitch by cutting the ribbons.

She then took to the pitch to take part in an exhibition penalty shootout followed by a staff versus students match.

Given her status as a top hockey player, it was an obvious decision to name the pitch after London Olympics star. She was still at school in 2001 when she made her international debut in the GB women’s hockey squad and was runner up for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year.

Since leaving the sixth form in 2003 the school has followed her career with great interest and pride, including such highlights as being named in the 2011 FIH’s World All Stars Team, winning a bronze medal in the 2012 London Olympics, and most recently winning a gold medal and player of the tournament at the 2015 EuroHockey Nations Championships.

Danson, who was joined by her parents, was delighted to have the pitch named after her. She said: “It’s been absolutely incredible to come back here today and I’ve had a wonderful time.

"This pitch was part of my dream when I was here. The girls can now create their dream on an astro like this. Without my start here at Farnborough Hill I wouldn’t have been so successful. I owe it all to my school.”