A NEW sports facility now stands at the site where a talented young footballer played with his friends before his tragic death.

Connor's Court has officially opened on Rottingdean seafront just hundreds of metres from where teenager Connor Saunders died in April 2012.

The talented Peacehaven and Telscombe defender died after being punched during an argument outside Tesco Express in West Street, Rottingdean.

Connor’s family said they felt “humbled and grateful” at seeing the newly unveiled facility.

The £85,000 all-weather pitch has been made possible thanks to the generosity of Play Area in Rottingdean Committee (Parc) as well as The Argus Appeal.

The idea for the court, which can be used for small and full-sided games of football, basketball and cricket, was first suggested to Parc’s co-founder Cathy Taylor by Connor’s friends.

They wanted a permanent reminder of their friend at the site where they used to play football.

Since then Parc has worked tirelessly to raise the necessary funds through its own shop near to the pitch in Lower High Street and by getting grants from The Argus Appeal, Rottingdean Parish Council, Lloyds Bank Community Challenge and Rottingdean Village Fair.

An inaugural football tournament and official opening event of the court at the former swimming pool, which was filled in 1994, is planned for next spring.

Balls for the facility were donated by nearby High Tides Café while the seafront Molly's Café will store a broom so that people can sweep shingle off the court.

Connor’s father Shaun described the facility as “unbelievable” and said he could not thank Parc enough.

He said: “Football was such a massive part of Connor’s life, he never went anywhere without a ball under his arm and seeing the kids running around yesterday took me back.”

Parc has raised more than £500,000 since it was founded in 1995 to mark the deaths of young schoolchildren Emma Harris and Alexandra Yates who died from meningitis.

A children’s playground in Rottingdean Recreation Ground, off of Falmer Road, still stands in their memory. Mrs Taylor said: “Connor’s Court is somewhere that’s informal, somewhere children don’t have to get permission to go and play.

“Children can go there and play rather than just hanging around.

“In the build-up to Connor’s death, the problem was you had children just hanging around aimlessly at a bus stop.

“There is always a need for something in this area and it is good that this can be used for children and teenagers.”