Sports academy faces closure under funding cuts

A sports academy which has produced top-level American footballers and athletes will be forced to close unless a council can secure funding.

The Dynamic Sports Academy has trained more than 1,000 youngsters at the Finsbury Park athletics track and gym over the past four years. At least six of its footballers have gone on to represent college teams in the States. In addition, hundreds of underprivileged children take part in programmes at the ground.

But the facilities at Finsbury Park will be closed as part of a cost-cutting measure to save Haringey council £50,000 a year if the authority cannot find a company willing to take it over.

Franklin Nwokeji, who went to Michigan to complete the last two years of secondary school, is one of the academy's success stories. He hopes to win a scholarship to a state-side university.

Academy spokesman Adrian Klemens said: "If we lose this home I don't know where we will go. There are not many facilities like this in central London."