A football club in Gedling borough has this week secured fresh funding to upgrade their pitch.
Linby Colliery Welfare FC has been awarded a grant by the Premier League, through the Football StadiamImprovement Fund (FSIF), towards the improvement of their existing pitch.
The £15,344 FSIF grant will enable the club, which plays in the Central Midlands Football League South Division at Step 7, to widen its grass pitch and perform vital surface improvement and also level the pitch – which is currently uneven.
Funded with £6.5m each year from the Premier League, the FSIF is the country’s largest provider of grants towards projects that help improve the comfort and safety of lower league football grounds in both the professional and amateur game. These improvements range from new football stands and turnstiles to floodlighting and improved provision for disabled supporters.
Adrian Ward, Chairman of Linby Colliery Welfare FC, said: “Without the help from the Premier League and the FSIF, clubs like ours would never be able to carry on. It will be a massive boost to our club, and help us on the way to our overall target of creating a sustainable community club.”
Peter McCormick OBE, Chairman of the Football Stadia Improvement Fund, said: “It’s great news that Linby Colliery Welfare FC have been awarded this grant, to help them improve the quality of their pitch. This will help them to improve the safety and effectiveness of training for its players.
He added: “The Premier League, through the FSIF, is committed to providing safer infrastructure across lower league clubs and this is just one example of how their investment is being used to achieve this goal.”
