AFC BOURNEMOUTH'S proposed new training facility in Poole is intended to help it compete with other clubs for young players.

Cherries already have an academy and training pitches in King's park, which are earmarked to be built over as part of the club's new stadium plan, but at present talented youngsters are tempted elsewhere by better facilities.

The new centre, at the former Canford Magna Golf Club, will offer ten full-size pitches, three junior pitches, an indoor artificial playing surface, state-of-the-art medical, fitness, sports science and rehabilitation facilities, administrative space and a press conference theatre, if approved by town planners.

In a planning statement, the club says: "The club's recent rise to the Premier League is well documented, but less well known is the additional demands and expectations this places upon the club's training facilities.

"Aside from the training requirements of our senior squad, maintenance of the club's position in the top division requires a training academy capable of attracting young players into the professional game, without neglecting their academic education.

"At present, many children in the Poole-Bournemouth area are attracted to join the academies of rival teams, in part by the superior training and educational facilities that other club's offer.

"A local academy will help the area to retain and nurture the local pool of footballing talent."

Best practice rules set out by the Premier League require clubs to have training facilities of a certain standard, in a bid to improve the quality of English football. The 2012 Elite Player Performance Plan in particular seeks to develop more and better homegrown players.

According to the plans the first team training sessions will take place from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, alongside gym and physiotherapy sessions. They would have a dedicated pitch maintained to the same specifications as that in the stadium, and be based in the west side of the facility.

Academy students would be based in the east side of the facility, with sessions throughout the day to fit with players' education and travel arrangements.

For some years the club's first team trained in the Canford School playing fields, while its current youth and academy teams train in various locations including pitches south of Magna Road.

The golf club closed in April last year, and this is the latest of several schemes put forward for the land.