Welcome to MP Sports Cricket Academy in Thame, Oxfordshire
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Hire Ground & Facilities
We offer a wide range of facilities for hire, including but not limited to;
- Ground hire
- Equipment hire
- Building hire
- 200 person marquee
- Open space on the ground for events or sports
- Grass nets for practice
- Open nets on our square, match hire
- Parking hire
- Coaches hire
All of these facilities are available for hire and use. For examples, please see the images below.
All our experiences are tailor made, hence our exact costs are not written here on the website, for detailed costs please email us at mpsportsacademy@hotmail.co.uk
The Ground
FAQs for Tailormade Events and Hiring Ground Facilities
Where is the ground located?
The Ground is located on Kingsey Road on the outskirts of Thame. The full address is New Barns, MP Academy Ground, Kingsey Road, Thame, OX9 3JL. The Ground is in an easily accessible location. This could be by Train as it is located only 10 minutes from Haddenham and Thame Parkway. It is also close to the M40 by Car.
Is there parking available at the Ground?
Yes, there is over 100 Car Parking Spaces available at the Ground meaning it should be able to cater for large events.
What type of events do you offer at the MP Sports Academy Ground?
We offer lots of different types of events on the Ground:
- School tournaments – we have 2 Cricket Squares on the Ground plus extra space which could be utilised to run a 3rd match if needed. This makes the Ground ideal for a school tournament as many games can be played at once.
- Cricket tournaments – 2 cricket squares are available, plus plenty of parking facilities making the Ground an ideal venue to host an Adult Cricket competition. This could involve competition between clubs, or an intra or inter company event.
- Art and Craft fair – plenty of space, good parking facilities, views of the Chiltern Hills and an accessible location on the outskirts of Thame make this a great location to host an arts and craft fair, or a Market more broadly.
- Birthday Parties – A Birthday Party at MP Sports would be the perfect way to celebrate your child’s birthday with his or her friends. The MP Sports Coaching team have over 35 years’ experience in teaching cricket to Children and therefore, they will be able to devise great activities and games which would be perfect for a cricket or sports loving child and their friends. We believe this is a great proposition for a Birthday Party because birthday parties are often unoriginal and similar ideas/themes are repeated many times over, whereas an MP Sports Birthday Party is bespoke and tailored to the individual child.Moreover, MP Sports is based at a venue in Thame which makes logistics easy, as opposed to other birthday party venues which are located significant car journeys away, therefore leading to complicated logistical arrangements having to be put in place.
- Corporate Events – MP Sports Academy Grond is a great place for a corporate event focused around team building and boosting morale through light physical activity. MP Sports will use the vast coaching experience accumulated from over the years to put on great activities to help build team unity, which ultimately leads to a more productive company workforce.
As well as working with MP Sports to put on an event, clients are also able to hire the Ground facilities to use. To enquire about this, please phone us on 01844 212226 or visit our Showroom in Station Yard.
Is there any undercover space on the ground where people can shelter from the rain, take a break from the games, or look out over the lovely setting?
There is a spacious marquee on the ground that has space for over 120 people. This provides a good space that can be utilised for corporate events where people can eat, drink and socialise.
Does the ground have lights to light the ground on summer evenings?
Yes, there are lights on the ground, meaning it is well lit on summer evenings. This will enhance your experience of the corporate event meaning it can go on later into the Evening once daylight has faded.
Are there kitchen facilities and hot water at the Academy Ground?
Yes, there are kitchen facilities and hot water at the ground which can be used for our events.
What food do you serve at your events?
As outlined in our email to you, one of the key principles of events at MP is that we try to tailor them to your needs as much as possible. Therefore, we have a range of options for what food we can serve you: Continental buffet, American style (burgers, hot dogs, chips, salad etc), Cricket tea, BBQ or even Indian food. Manoj originally played first class cricket in India before coming to the UK, so were you to choose Indian food, this would be a nice link to the roots of MP Sports and Manoj’s Indian cricket career.
There is no set food offering. The specific arrangements for food would be decided following consultation with you.
There is no set food offering. The specific arrangements for food would be decided following consultation with you.
What about people with specific dietary requirements (Vegetarian, Vegan, Lactose intolerant, Halal etc.) or serious allergies (Nuts etc)
Clients who choose an MP Sports Event will be asked to supply the dietary information of their Event Party in the Event Planning phase so that we can make arrangements to cater for guests who have specific dietary requirements and allergies.
Are there toilets located on the MP Academy ground?
Yes, there are plenty of toilets located on our ground.
Can alcohol be served at events run by MP Sports?
Yes, alcohol can be served at events run by MP Sports to over 18s with ID. The specific needs of your party in relation to drinks can be discussed and we will endeavour to fit your needs as best as possible.
Is the equipment for all games supplied or do we have to bring our own?
All equipment is supplied by the Academy for any games that we put on. You are not required to bring any games equipment yourselves.
My workforce has a large age range and there is a wide spectrum of sporting ability ranging from people who are very fit and able to people who do not like physical activity. How will MP Sports cater for a group that has such a wide range of age and aptitude?
Manoj has been coaching cricket for over 30 years and he regularly goes into the primary schools in Thame to coach cricket. In these sessions he coaches classes with a whole range of abilities and yet manages to make the sessions fun and engaging for everyone meaning that every child feels a positive effect: for some children, this may be a lifelong love of cricket; for others, it will be increased confidence.
Therefore, when devising games for an event, he will use his vast experience to devise games that everyone will feel comfortable playing and get enjoyment out of, just like is the case when our coaches go into primary schools.
These games could be proper cricket games (softball or hardball) or they could be more loosely related to cricket and more based around team building.
How cricket related are the games that MP Sports devises?
There are lots of different types of games MP Sports can put on to fit your needs. If necessary, proper softball cricket matches could be put on. However, games and activities could also be more loosely related to cricket and more based around team building such as high catches with Tennis ball and kwik cricket – a primary school favourite – if this fits better with the profile of your event party.
How much experience does MP Sports Group have at running events?
MP Sports has lots of experience at running events. We have run very large events in the past including events in Thame High Street for the whole local community. The first of these such events was put on in 2016 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday and we have done other events on a similar scale for the community since then, including Sports in the Street in 2017 and 2018, Events for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee culminating in Sports in Thame High Street, and the Coronation Cup which was hosted at our Ground. Therefore, we have an experienced team so will be well-equipped to put on a great event for you.
On what days of the week can we put on Events?
Events can be put on at the Academy Ground every day of the week including Friday and Saturday night.
Cricket is usually played with a hardball. How does MP Sports mitigate the health and safety risks associated with this?
Cricket matches (or Cricket related games) put on at our events will be played with a softball unless players are wearing appropriate protection in which case these games may be played with a hardball if this is in line with the needs of your event.
How does pricing work for MP Sports events?
Events are bespoke and based on the type of event and the needs of your event party. Therefore, a price will be set once an event is planned.