The football pitch at the Bowl will reopen on Easter Monday after extensive repairs are carried out this week.

The update was issued by Tim Crookall MLC, Minister for Education and Children, whose Department runs the facility.

The Bowl and the neighbouring National Sports Centre (NSC) were badly damaged in flooding that affected the Island on Thursday 3rd December.

The Department of Education and Children is working with insurers, designers, contractors and suppliers to get the indoor and outdoor facilities dried out, repaired and reopened as quickly as it can.

The Government Laboratory and a number of specialist companies ascertained the extent of the damage to the pitch at the Bowl. A company is now carrying out the necessary repairs to the surface and sub-structure.

The Minister said: ‘We appreciate the disruption to football that has been caused by the Bowl being out of action and are really delighted we can reopen it on Monday.

‘The pitch will need to close for a short time over the summer, out of the football season, for it to be re-crumbed, but it can be used until that time.’

The Minister said: ‘We are working as hard as we can to ensure work on all affected facilities is carried out as quickly as possible while observing the procedures we must go through to ensure insurance can be assessed and that we obtain best value for money.

‘I would like to thank the users of the NSC and Bowl for their understanding during this unprecedented situation.’

The Isle of Man Football Association is carrying out repairs to its changing facilities at the Bowl, which were damaged in the flooding.

In the meantime, players can use the NSC’s outdoor changing facilities next to the athletics track.