AFTER years in the making and thousands of pounds spent on it, a new multi-use games area (MUGA) has been opened in Riverside Park.

The brainchild of the Friends of Riverside Park Group, the MUGA will be open to the public officially within weeks, but youngsters can still take a look and try out the area.

The area cost £52,000 and was paid for by Veolia Environmental Services and Southampton City Council. It has all-weather facilities to play sports such as netball, basketball, five-a-side football, cage cricket and tennis.

Group chairman Doug Perry said: “It’s been 11 years in the making.”