Family of D-Day veteran John Jenkins 'humbled' by decision to name new £3.5m sports stadium in Portsmouth

THE family of D-Day veteran and lifelong Pompey fan John Jenkins have said he would be ‘speechless and overwhelmed’ to learn that a multi-million pound stadium will be named after him.
From left, Dexter West, 11, Kody Clark, 11, and Lily Willett, 10 at the launch of The John Jenkins Stadium at Moneyfields FC. Picture: Chris Moorhouse     (120220-27)From left, Dexter West, 11, Kody Clark, 11, and Lily Willett, 10 at the launch of The John Jenkins Stadium at Moneyfields FC. Picture: Chris Moorhouse     (120220-27)
From left, Dexter West, 11, Kody Clark, 11, and Lily Willett, 10 at the launch of The John Jenkins Stadium at Moneyfields FC. Picture: Chris Moorhouse (120220-27)

The John Jenkins Stadium will be part of a £3.5m new sports complex on the site of the former Moneyfields Sports and Social Club in Copnor.

As reported on Wednesday, it will be developed by Pompey in the Community (PitC) and include two of the latest 3G all-weather pitches, a boxing gym, dance studio, social club and other facilities.

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John, who featured in last year’s D-Day 75 commemorations, died in December, aged 100.

£3.5m community sports complex in central Portsmouth named the John Jenkins Stadium

Proposed visualisations for Moneyfields sports and social club£3.5m community sports complex in central Portsmouth named the John Jenkins Stadium

Proposed visualisations for Moneyfields sports and social club
£3.5m community sports complex in central Portsmouth named the John Jenkins Stadium Proposed visualisations for Moneyfields sports and social club

On Wednesday, his granddaughter Alison Baynes gathered with PitC chief executive Clare Martin and Pompey player Christian Burgess to a crowdfunding initiative to fundraise £3.25m.

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Proud granddaughter Alison, 52, said: ‘Our whole family is so humbled by the community and I know our “Dan Dad” – (which is) what my sister and I called him when we were younger – would be speechless and overwhelmed to know the stadium had been named after him.

‘He would say this isn’t about me but about what it means for the community. He was always about how he could help others, whether it was at home or away.

£3.5m community sports complex in central Portsmouth named the John Jenkins Stadium

Proposed visualisations for Moneyfields sports and social club£3.5m community sports complex in central Portsmouth named the John Jenkins Stadium

Proposed visualisations for Moneyfields sports and social club
£3.5m community sports complex in central Portsmouth named the John Jenkins Stadium Proposed visualisations for Moneyfields sports and social club
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‘I remember as a child, before any health and safety my sister and I helped him to paint the turnstiles at Fratton Park. This new stadium will offer so much opportunity to so many people and that is an amazing legacy.’

Pompey women will train at the centre and it will be used by thousands of school children, disability sport groups and members of the public every week, as well as Pompey in the Community and Moneyfields FC.

Pompey Supporters Trust has gifted £250,000 to the pot and the PitC team has also been applying for grants to get the cash needed for construction.

More fundraising events will be put on across the year to get the public involved.

Mia McGiffen, 17, right at the launch of The John Jenkins Stadium at Moneyfields FC. Picture: Chris Moorhouse     (120220-25)Mia McGiffen, 17, right at the launch of The John Jenkins Stadium at Moneyfields FC. Picture: Chris Moorhouse     (120220-25)
Mia McGiffen, 17, right at the launch of The John Jenkins Stadium at Moneyfields FC. Picture: Chris Moorhouse (120220-25)
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Clare said: ‘This is so exciting for the city and will mean facilities for so many different groups.

‘Our teams at the moment have had to travel to Alton and even Reading to use their pitches for home games.

‘I think this will also be very moving for John’s family and he was always a big supporter of the club.’

Fundraising events will include having a blue Pompey wave for each of the four races in October’s Great South Run, a sleep out at Fratton Park, a sponsored bike ride and a ‘play on the pitch’ event at Fratton Park.

John Jenkins' granddaughter Alison Baynes, in brown coat, with players, club officials and well-wishers at the launch of The John Jenkins Stadium at Moneyfields FC. Picture: Chris Moorhouse     (120220-24)John Jenkins' granddaughter Alison Baynes, in brown coat, with players, club officials and well-wishers at the launch of The John Jenkins Stadium at Moneyfields FC. Picture: Chris Moorhouse     (120220-24)
John Jenkins' granddaughter Alison Baynes, in brown coat, with players, club officials and well-wishers at the launch of The John Jenkins Stadium at Moneyfields FC. Picture: Chris Moorhouse (120220-24)
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Portsmouth FC player Christian Burgess said: ‘It is a fantastic opportunity for everyone in the city to have really good facilities and to name it after John is so fitting because he is a stalwart of Portsmouth and a real legend.’

The new complex will cover six acres of land. Riversdale Developments gifted the land to the charity. Houses and flats will be built on an acre of the site.

Brian Chamley, from the firm, added: ‘It is all about giving back to the community and is important to support initiatives like this.

‘We are helping the community by building new homes but we also want to help them by making sure these facilities can stay here and be used.’

It is hoped the sports complex will be built by next summer.

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