Football in Staffordshire was given a boost this week with £35,000 worth of investment from the Premier League, The FA and the Government’s Football Foundation.

The funding is being awarded as grants from the Foundation’s Club Preparation Fund. This has been created to help clubs prepare their buildings to safely reopen in line with Government guidance around hygiene and social distancing, and The FA’s plans for a ‘phased return’ that were announced on 18 July.  

70 grants were awarded to clubs across the county totalling £35,000. This will benefit 857 local football teams in the area.

These Club Preparation Fund grants will go towards football sites to satisfy the extra hygiene measures that Government guidance requires. This includes:

• Installing hygiene facilities, such as hand sanitiser dispensers, soap dispensers, paper towel dispensers and waste bins

• Modifications, such as safety screening, contactless payment systems and signage

• Facility maintenance work, such as repairing hand basins and hot water provision

• Professional inspections that may be necessary due to the prolonged period of closure resulting from the pandemic – including inspections of water quality, gas and ventilation

The investment follows the Foundation’s Pitch Preparation Fund that awarded £7m to 2,902 organisations across the country. This is enabling over 9,000 football pitches to be made match-fit, and is benefiting more than 33,000 football teams.

The successful clubs being offered Club Preparation Fund grants in Staffordshire are:

• Eccleshall F.C.
• Newcastle Town Juniors F.C.
• Fulford United (Senior) F.C.
• Stoke City FC (Women)
• Kidsgrove Athletic FC
• Rocester F.C.
• Brereton Town Juniors F.C.
• Chasetown FC
• Wolverhampton Sporting Community F.C.
• Seighford F.C.
• Global Vision F.C.
• Mercia Juniors F.C.
• Mayfield F.C.
• Meir Mustangs F.C.
• Lichfield City (Adult) F.C.
• Kidsgrove Ladsandads
• Heath Hayes F.C.
• Stafford Town F.C.
• Eastwood Hanley FC
• Chesterton AFC
• Brereton Social F.C.
• Whittington F.C.
• Shelfield United F.C.
• Sporting Khalsa F.C.
• Lakeside F.C.
• Lea Hall Youth F.C.
• Bilston Town Community Football Club F.C.
• Warstones Wanderers F.C.
• Burntwood Dragons F.C.
• Lane Head Adults FC
• Wolstanton United F.C.
• newcastle ladsandads
• Sikh Hunters F.C.
• Trubshaw Cross Ladsandads
• Rushall Olympic Youth Development F.C.
• Hawkins Sports Juniors F.C.
• Redgate Clayton F.C.
• Chasetown Youth F.C.
• Uttoxeter Town F.C.
• Midland Soccer Academy F.C.
• Four Oaks Club F.C.
• Eccleshall Eagles Juniors F.C.
• Stafford Rangers FC
• Bilbrook Juniors F.C.
• Shenstone Pathfinder F.C.
• Abbey Hulton United F.C.
• Phoenix Rangers Juniors F.C.
• Hanley Town Juniors F.C.
• Leek C.S.O.B. F.C.
• Burton Albion Community Trust 
• Walsall Wood F.C.
• Audley & District F.C.
• Brocton F.C.
• Bulls Head (Marchington) F.C.
• Milton United FC
• Meir KA F.C.
• Holditch miners FC
• Rushall Olympic FC
• Appleby Village F.C.
• Blurton Lads & Dads
• Staffordshire FA
• Wolverhampton Casuals F.C.
• Newcastle Town FC
• Foley Meir FC
• Leek Town FC
• Florence Coliery Social Welfare Centre
• Kidsgrove Athletic FC
• City of Stoke Football Club (Adults) F.C.
• Madeley White Star Junior FC
• Wyrley Juniors F.C.