BRISTOL City are pushing ahead with ambitious plans to install Premier League-standard training facilities.

The Championship club intend expanding their existing training headquarters at Failand after acquiring a further 13.9 acres of land from Bristol Grammar School.

City will lay new training pitches, create a ground to stage reserve-team matches and move their Academy operation to the site, which lies adjacent to Long Ashton Golf Club.

And in time, the club's entire football administration staff will switch from Ashton Gate to the new state-of-the-art facility.

City attempted to buy the land when they first moved into their new headquarters nearly three years ago, but were thwarted by Bristol Grammar School, who pulled out of the deal after undergoing a change of heart.

Chairman Steve Lansdown said: "We always intended to get both parts of the land when the initial deal took place in July 2007, but the adjacent part was thwarted originally.

"Now we've been able to secure the further 13.9 acres of adjacent land, allowing us to take the total to 25 acres and plan our entire football HQ there."

City moved into their new Failand training ground in September 2008, having purchased an initial 11 acres on a 125-year lease.

So far, they have installed four pitches matching the specifications of the one at Ashton Gate and upgraded changing and car parking facilities, the first phase in a project which will eventually give the club a training headquarters worthy of the Premier League. City hope the improved facilities will prove attractive to potential new signings and Lansdown said: "This will give us additional pulling power.

"I've said for a long time that players spend most of their time on the training ground and that's why it's important the facilities are first-class, especially with our ambitions to reach the Premier League.

"This acquisition will allow us to add to the superb facilities we already have and build strong foundations for the future."

City will submit plans this autumn with a view to having the new HQ operational a year later.