FOOTBALL FOUNDATION Pitch Preparation Fund

Clubs and Organisations Score With Funding Success

There’s good news for Guernsey as with confirmation that Vale Recreation, KGV and the Guernsey FA have been awarded financial support via the Pitch Preparation Fund grant from the Premier League, The FA and the Government’s Football Foundation.

The Pitch Preparation Fund was set up in support of the game, which is currently facing unprecedented challenges because of the COVID-19 outbreak.  The Fund is providing grants to clubs that have lost out on normal revenue streams during this difficult period and the funding will enable groundsmen to prepare their football pitches so that they are match-fit for when it is safe to play football again, following local Government advice.

The grant can be used towards helping to pay for the cost of materials, work such as verti-draining, chain harrowing, rolling, over-seeding, fertilising, weed-killing, and routine preparatory work such as grass cutting and the setting out and line-marking of pitches. Clubs and other organisations are also being given access to the Football Foundation Groundskeeping Community.  This is a free online resource the Foundation developed with The FA and the Grounds Management Association, containing advice and guidance.  Anyone in Guernsey can sign up at https://thefa.hivelearning.com/groundskeeping.

Gary Roberts, Guernsey FA Chief Executive Officer, said: “This is more fantastic new for local football as we continue to work towards resuming the sport in Guernsey. Working to ensure the pitches are in the best possible condition when football can resume, is one important element of this process and the funding from the Football Foundation will greatly assist this work. This latest news follows the previous confirmation of funding support for other Guernsey clubs via the Grass Pitch Maintenance programme and the GFA has been pleased to be able to support clubs through this process by funding the Pitch Improvement Programme for a number of years. We look forward to continuing to work with local clubs to improve pitch surfaces and hope to have more good news in the months ahead about other projects. ”

Robert Sullivan, Interim Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “This is a vital grant to help clubs and organisations in Guernsey get their pitches match-fit.

“The Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation exists to help provide quality infrastructure at the lower-levels of the game.  Pitch Preparation Fund grants like this one are giving a helping hand to clubs across the country to get their playing surfaces ready for when the game is allowed to begin again following government advice.”

The Football Foundation is a charity funded by the Premier League, The FA and the Government, through Sport England.