Just north of Slough, Farnham Park has become the beating heart of baseball and softball in the UK. Now in its 11th year, it has evolved from a single baseball diamond into a multi-field, multi-purpose complex that draws baseball and softball players, coaches, and fans from all over the country.
Chris Knoblock, PR officer and sports broadcaster for BaseballSoftballUK, steps up to the plate to take us on a guided tour…
A unique facility in Europe
Farnham Park, or to give its full name The National Baseball & Softball Complex at Farnham Park, is the only purpose-built, multi-field baseball and softball facility in the UK. Owned and operated by BaseballSoftballUK, the venue was the result of a three-year project and opened to the public in 2013.
“Farnham Park is unique in Europe. I’ve traveled a lot around Europe and we are probably one of three countries that have a dedicated training facility on the continent,” says Chris.
“The only places that I know of that you can get a similar experience in Europe are in Regensburg, Germany, where they’ve got an MLB stadium, and with Eagles in Prague, Czech Republic, where they’ve got a five-stadium complex and training center. After that, it’s in the United States.
“And Farnham Park is much closer to a municipal field in the USA than any type of stadium. So it’s really unique within European baseball and softball, and we want to keep that uniqueness and grow how many people can experience it.”
Built for scale and versatility
Whereas most baseball and softball venues in Britain are temporary or pop-up in nature, Farnham Park is a purpose-built, multi-field facility. As well as hosting domestic league and tournament competitions and a range of development programmes for the local community, Farnham Park is also used by Great Britain’s national softball team.
“Farnham Park is designed to have multiple games going on at a time” adds Chris. “At capacity we can have 1,000 people at Farnham Park on a weekend, and up to 16 softball games. Of those 16 fields, five are permanent, and the rest are on grass. The five fully dirt infields can be used for softball or youth baseball. Four of those have full outfield fences, which is unique in Great Britain.
“We also have two international-standard baseball diamonds, one that was created by Major League Baseball. We also have an on-site pub. We also have storage on site that we’re looking to potentially turn into an indoor facility.
“It’s now in its 12th year and it’s grown from one baseball field to these seven permanent fields, the bar and grill, and even more coming. It’s pretty impressive in Britain to have this bespoke facility, not to mention you can see it every time you land at Heathrow, which is pretty cool.”
More than just a ball game
Farnham Park isn’t just a venue, it’s a cultural hub. With an on-site bar, batting cages, and bullpens, it’s designed to be as enjoyable for spectators and families as it is for players, mirroring the typical baseball and softball experience enjoyed across the Atlantic.
“If you’re not playing a game, you can go get food at the home plate, or you can watch the other games. It’s a lot of fun when you have the softball players on site. They have music, they’re playing games, they’re usually dressed crazy. The games can vary in quality, but it’s always high energy and a lot of fun just to be around and to get involved.
“There are also batting cages and a bullpen on site, so you can have a bat or a catch, and it’s about being at the ballpark. It’s a hard thing to describe what it’s like just hang out at a ballpark. You don’t get that a lot in Britain, but in the United States in particular, it’s how baseball became the national pastime.
“It’s not about being completely engaged for three and a half hours straight on the game. It’s about having the radio on in the background while you’re doing something else. It’s about being at a game and having a chat with your family or your friends and the game’s going on in the background. It was never about you having to be fully laser focused on the game at any given moment.
“And I think the more we can develop that ideology, that feeling at Farnham Park, the more people will be relaxed and excited to come watch or just hang out.”
Funding and sustainability
While Farnham Park is a national treasure, those running it experience many of the financial hurdles that thousands of grassroots venues in Britain are forced to deal with on a daily basis. Maintaining such high standards costs money, and they are reliant on the support and growth of the baseball and softball community.
“The costs to rent Farnham Park are high, because we have to maintain it at a really high level. But BaseballSoftballUK does not make any money off of Farnham Park,” admits Chris. If we’re lucky, we will break even in a year. The goal of the facility is to give people the best playing opportunity they can have within Britain.
“Our on-site pub actually donates back to the running of Farnham Park. So 20% of every pound spent in the pub goes right into the operation of the sport, which is really exciting for us. So the more people attend, the more the sport thrives. So even if they’re not playing, we want people to attend.
A bright future
Farnham Park is to baseball and softball what Wembley is to football, and as such it draws teams from all over the country desperate to play on its immaculate grounds. Tournament’s like 2024’s WBSC Blind Baseball International Cup, won by Cuba, have also proven the venue’s calibre as an international host. For Chris and those at BaseballSoftballUK, the hope is that this brilliant venue can one day be one of several in the UK.
“Right now we’ve got the one facility just north of Slough. A couple years ago, we were in the planning process in Manchester which unfortunately fell through. But we were looking at a park there, and one of our resolutions is to get more facilities in the ilk of Farnham Park.
“That doesn’t mean more Farnham Parks, that will be very challenging, but more similar facilities around the country, and specifically outside of London, because that is a huge barrier to entry right now when it comes to the sports.”
“We have teams coming from everywhere to these major events at Farnham Park. It does create something special, that this is the home of British baseball and softball. People know Farnham Park as the facility within the country.”
Find out more about The National Baseball & Softball Complex at Farnham Park
