March 9, 2020 10.45 am This story is over 62 months old

Former Lincoln City player invests £250k into new football arena

It should open in April
Former Lincoln City footballer Dan Hone outside his new premises with James Hall, Banks Long & Co Associate Director.

Former Lincoln City player Daniel Hone is investing £250,000 to create a purpose-built indoor football area in the city and fulfil his dream.

As previously reported, construction recently begun on Active Arena, which is located at the Moorland Centre Retail Park, behind the M&S food store on Moorland Way off Tritton Road.

The quarter-of-a-million-pound private development, which is owned by Daniel and and his wife Stacey Hone, should open in April 2020.

The arena will include two indoor five-a-side football pitches, two junior pitches, a sports cafe and bar, and an activity room across two floors.

It will be home to Dan’s youngsters’ football programme, Kixx Lincoln, and will also be open for adults and the wider community to enjoy.

Dan, who played close to 100 times for the Imps between 2007-2012, already employs a mix of 18 full and part-timers across his business interest. The latest venture will create three extra full-time jobs.

Active Arena is currently under construction and will open in April 2020.

Conversion work at the arena is already underway, including changes to the mezzanine floor within the building to create two upper-floor adult five-a-side pitches. A junior five-a-side pitch is being created on the ground floor, along with a one-versus-one area.

He said: “Active Arena has been two years in the planning. It’s something I have always wanted to do.

“It’s great to be filling a gap because there is no purpose-built football venue of this kind around here. I had been searching for al ing time for the right commercial unit, capable of taking my expansive layout.

“I’m really excited about our move because Kixx Lincoln, a football activity programme for children from 18 months to 10 years old, will be based here and we will also host community health and fitness sessions, walking football groups, holiday clubs, adult five-a-side football leagues in the evenings, and more.

“Our facilities will be available for private hire and corporate events and our Sports Café & Bar will be open for users and visitors. The bar will also show live sporting events on big screens.”

Commercial agent Banks Long & Co leased the premises to the husband and wife on behalf of its client Lincolnshire Co-op.