World Cup Legend Gordon Banks' Thumbs-Up For

ISSUE 36

WORLD CUP LEGEND GORDON BANKS’ THUMBS-UP FOR GRASSROOTS INVESTMENT ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: • £12.8m invested into grassroots from Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund • Peter Schmeichel helps celebrate tenth anniversary of our Barclays Spaces for Sports partnership • Exclusive Q&A with former England and Villa striker Darius Vassell ABOUT THE FOOTBALL FOUNDATION TEAM TALK The Football Foundation is the UK’s largest sports Due to our world-leading systems and proven winning Barclays Spaces for Sports – the largest CONTENTS Words from the charity. Set up in 2000 by the Premier League, expertise, the Foundation is the chosen delivery ever sport Corporate Social Responsibility Chief Executive, The FA and the Government, we are focused on organisation for the Premier League & The FA programme in the UK, which has developed over WHAT’S INSIDE THIS ISSUE OF ONSIDE Paul Thorogood improving public sports facilities across the country. Facilities Fund. This is a £102m commitment to 200 multi-sport sites across the country – and the improving local sports sites, particularly in deprived Mayor of London: Sports Facilities Fund, which has Since 2000, we have awarded around 13,000 grants areas, which also seeks to strengthen the links provided a tangible Olympic legacy for the capital, With another exciting Premier League season worth £500m thanks to investment provided by the between professional football clubs and their in the form of over 100 new or refurbished well underway, we are all enjoying watching some Premier League, The FA and the Government via local communities. multi-sport facilities. of the best footballers in the world. Of course that Sport England. We have multiplied their donations is at the elite level of the game; the focus of the by securing partnership funding totalling £700m, The Foundation also delivers major community Football Foundation is very much on the grassroots, maximising the investment into the grassroots to sports programmes on behalf of other where all those great players began their careers. the tune of more than £1.2bn. organisations. These include the multi-award A strong and vibrant grassroots game is a critical foundation for the professional game and by extension the national representative teams.

A number of studies, including The FA Chairman’s TOP recent England Commission, has highlighted a lack of quality facilities at the grassroots level – especially TWEETS playing surfaces – as a serious weakness in the 04|COVER STORY 06|ONSIDE NEWS development of the game in this country. We have recently announced the first two rafts of investment from the Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund for this year, amounting to £12.8m. This investment will ensure that the Foundation can continue to build new or refurbish more changing rooms and floodlit third generation (3G) artificial grass pitches (AGP), so that coaching and matches can take place irrespective of bad weather and well into the dark winter evenings. PREMIER LEAGUE Our cover story, which you can read on pages four 12|& THE FA FACILITIES FUND and five, is a perfect example of how a new 3G AGP will not just benefit one team, but a whole community all-year round. England’s World Cup winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks, who opened the facility, was quick to underline the huge health benefits that come with facilities like this, too. Other stars of the game, past and present, such as Mike Summerbee, Joe Cole and Sir Trevor Brooking, are also included in this issue, lending their valuable and much appreciated support for our work.

We have also recently celebrated a decade of delivering the multi-award winning Barclays Spaces BEFORE AND AFTER PARTNERSHIPS 10| 22| for Sports programme. This issue reports on four celebratory events held across the country (pages 22 & 23), which showcased the success of a scheme which has provided more than 200 local 03| TEAM TALK 21| FOOTBALL STADIA multi-sports facilities used by more than 53,000 04| COVER STORY IMPROVEMENT FUND people every week. 22| PARTNERSHIPS 06| ONSIDE NEWS I hope you enjoy reading this Issue of ONSIDE. 10| BEFORE AND AFTER 28| ON TARGET 12 PREMIER LEAGUE 30| MATCH REPORT & THE FA FACILITIES FUND 32| PLAYER PROFILE: 20| GROW THE GAME DARIUS VASSELL 32| STAR PLAYER

ONSIDE is printed on paper from sustainable Chief Executive FROM THE forests and published by the Football Paul Thorogood DUG-OUT Foundation, Whittington House, 19-30 Alfred Place, London WC1E 7EA. President Editor Rory Carroll The Rt Hon Lord Pendry PC E [email protected] T 0845 345 4555 F 0845 345 7057 W www.footballfoundation.org.uk Football Foundation Board of Trustees Deputy Editor Niall Malone Chairman: Gary Hoffman, Roger Burden, E [email protected] @FootballFoundtn The Rt Hon Richard Caborn, Rona Chester, Youtube.com/Footballfdn Jonathan Hall, Peter McCormick OBE, Contributors: Josh Bednash, Bradley Richard Scudamore Cleveland and Daniel Bermingham-Shaw flickr.com/footballfoundation linkedIn.com /football-foundation

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GORDON BANKS LEAVES STOKE’S NEW 3G IN SAFE HANDS

England’s World Cup winning keeper Gordon StreetGames Stoke-on-Trent; a national Banks beamed: “It is very pleasing to see the charity dedicated to developing sport in council and its partners investing in new facilities disadvantaged communities. like this,” as he opened a new third generation (3G) artificial grass pitch (AGP) in Stoke-On-Trent, Gordon, who made 200 appearances for Stoke made possible thanks to a Premier League & The City and 73 for England added: “Having top class FA Facilities Fund grant of £366,633. facilities can only encourage more people to play football and enjoy all the associated health The new facility at Dimensions Leisure Centre benefits that come with it.” will be used for five-a-side, seven-a side, nine-a side and 11-a-side football and will also host The pitches will strengthen many existing Staffordshire University’s league matches. partnerships with local leagues including Staffordshire County Minor Sunday Youth League, The site will also be used by the general public, Milton Youth League and North Staffs Junior as well as various community groups such as Youth League.

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VINCENT KEEPS GOOD KOMPANY AT PREMIER LEAGUE SEASON LAUNCH

Premier League captains Vincent Kompany, Phil Jagielka, John O’Shea and Wes Morgan were joined by their respective managers at the Premier Both the Football Foundation and Football Stadia Improvement Fund (FSIF) League Season Launch, where a three-year £10.5m programme of recently said goodbye to two key servants of the game. support for primary school sport was announced.

After nearly six years, Phil Smith (above left) has stepped down as Sport The announcement came at the Capital City Academy, North London, England’s representative on the Football Foundation Board of Trustees. which opened a new third generation (3G) artificial grass pitch (AGP) in January 2014 thanks to a grant from the Premier League & The FA After joining the Manchester FA in 1996 as General Secretary, Phil then Facilities Fund. joined The FA as Head of Public Affairs where he was responsible for policy, including working with the Government on the various issues affecting both The new programme will see Premier League and other professional professional and amateur football. In 2008 Phil left The FA to join Sport clubs provide community coaches to deliver fun, high quality and age England as Director of Sport, where he remains responsible for the funding appropriate PE and sport sessions in schools, providing a pathway into of national sports governing bodies in order to increase participation. competitive football opportunities for those that want them.

We also bid a fond farewell to David Dent (above right) who has retired as When the programme was first trialled last season by the Premier Independent Chairman of the FSIF Safety and Improvement Panel after 15 League, 25 clubs (20 Premier league clubs and five Football League clubs) years of service. delivered over 66,000 PE lessons and sport sessions in 1,279 schools to over 103,000 pupils. David has enjoyed a long and illustrious career in football, starting as Secretary to Carlisle United FC in 1960, at the age of only 23. He spent 18 years at Carlisle United before moving to take up a similar role at Coventry City FC in 1978. David went on to join The Football League as Deputy Secretary in 1984 and then Secretary in 1989, before retiring in 2001. David joined the Board of the Football Trust, the forerunner to the FSIF, in 1990, and was appointed PREMIER LEAGUE & THE FA FACILITIES FUND Chairman of the FSIF Safety and Improvement Panel from its inception in 2000. Paul Thorogood, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation and Football AWARDS 155 GRANTS WORTH £12.8M INTO Stadia Improvment Fund, said: “On behalf of everyone at the Foundation, I would like to place on record our most sincere thanks to both David and Phil for their dedicated effort in support of the grassroots and lower levels THE GRASSROOTS of the game.

The Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund has now invested £12.8m into Many of the new facilities are also strengthening the connection between “Phil’s passion for the national game at the grassroots level has always shone 155 grassroots projects across the country, following the first two investment professional football clubs and their local communities, particularly in the most through and I am sure that this will continue as he focuses on his very busy injections from the Fund. deprived areas of the country, through the professional clubs’ community day job. We wish Phil every success and good fortune for the future. trusts’ outreach work. The Football Foundation has been chosen to deliver the overall commitment “Whilst David has been instrumental in improving the welfare of our of £102m from the Premier League, The FA and the Government, via Sport Welcoming the investment Minister for Sport and Equalities Helen Grant national game at all levels. We all wish him the very best in in a happy England, which is being directed into grassroots football over the next three said: “This investment from the Premier League, The FA and Government retirement as Honorary President of his beloved Carlisle United.” years in order to allow more children and adults to play the game. is going to make a huge difference to community sport up and down the country. The state-of-the-art 3G pitches will encourage greater By refurbishing existing facilities and paying for new ones such as floodlit third participation all-year round as well as help develop the next generation generation (3G) artificial grass pitches (AGPs) and changing rooms, the Fund of talent.” aims to increase participation and improve the experience of playing for regular players.

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FOLLOW THE FOUNDATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA

The Football Foundation reached another milestone recently, as it surpassed THE BBL FOUNDATION 15,000 followers on Twitter. Follow @FootballFoundtn to keep up to speed with BECOME UPSHOT’S our news and views from the game we love... NEWEST SIGNING You can also subscribe to our other channels

The Basketball League Limited (BBL) Foundation to produce reports for Sport England [a Funding Flickr flickr.com/photos/footballfoundation has become the latest organisation to start using Partner]. Prior to Upshot our data collection Upshot – the easy-to-use project management process was manual and across a range of YouTube youtube.com/footballfdn and monitoring system. In doing so they join more different spreadsheets, but now it is automatic than 200 other not-for-profit organisations that at the point of participation.” LinkedIn linkedin.com/company/ have opted to use Upshot to manage, monitor football-foundation and evidence their work. Upshot can easily create a wide range of performance indicators, and ensure that data Head to our YouTube channel to see a birds- The BBL Foundation seek to improve education, is displayed clearly on dashboards, graphs and eye perspective of Failsworth School’s new health and promote social inclusion through maps. Aside from demonstrating the impact of pitch (page 17), filmed with ‘Kestrel Cam’. basketball and physical activity more generally. existing work, one of Upshot’s smartest features Whilst on our Flickr page you’ll be able to see Russell Findlay the BBL Foundation’s National is its ability to show the value of work and use exclusive photos of Arsene Wenger opening Manager, said: “We’re running a programme at that information to secure future funding. This Boreham Wood’s new West Stand (Page 21.) about 84 different sites, which means that we is achieved by linking all evidence, activities and needed a tool that could collate the details of performance indicators to outcomes. more than 5,000 participants, and in turn help us

MENTAL HEALTH PROJECT HONOURED BY UEFA A project aimed at supporting people that suffer Orient Community Sports Programme (LOCSP) Also present at the event was Dave McDermott, with mental health issues has been awarded a to act as a safe and healthy refuge for those whose the Football Foundation’s Chief Operating Officer. grassroots prize by UEFA. The project, Coping lives have been affected by mental health problems. (below, far right of picture) In 2007, the Foundation Through Football, is active in North East London It was awarded The UEFA Grassroots Award by awarded a grant from its old Community and offers opportunities for mental health sufferers LPFF Vice President, and Chelsea and Arsenal Scheme, which allowed the initial idea to become through playing, learning and coaching football. legend, John Hollins at the official launch of the established as Coping Through Football and laid project’s extension. the groundwork for what continues today as an The project works in conjunction with North East immensely beneficial scheme for some of the most London Foundation Trust (NELFT) and Leyton vulnerable in that part of the capital.

FOUNDATION PRESIDENT PRAISED FOR HIS CONTRIBUTION TO SPORT

The Football Foundation’s President, Lord Pendry, was praised at a celebratory During the course of the night, guests spoke of Lord Pendry’s genuine passion dinner held in his honour, by the Sport and Recreation Alliance in conjunction for sport across all disciplines, not just football and boxing for which he is with the All Party Parliamentary Group for Sport. It was attended by particularly famed. Director of Ticketing for the London Olympic Games, Paul Parliamentarians who have also made a significant contribution to the Williamson, said: “The millions who enjoyed London 2012 owe Tom a debt promotion of sport, including former sports ministers, Lord Moynihan and of gratitude,” referring to Lord Pendry as the driving force behind London’s Gerry Sutcliffe MP. original bid for the 2012 Olympics.

Lord Pendry’s work was previously recognised by the Sport and Lord Moynihan, the Chairman of the British Olympic Association, remarked Recreation Alliance in 2006 when he received the prestigious Arthur Bell that Lord Pendry is “a man of conviction, a consistent support for athletes, Trophy, which is awarded to individuals who have made an outstanding with a passion for sport, dedicated to improving recreational facilities contribution to sport. across the country,” while Charlotte Leslie MP praised him as being “an absolute stalwart of sport in Parliament.”

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You can see the effect our Funders’ investment makes to the grassroots game in the two examples below

BEFORE AFTER BEFORE AFTER

The old clubhouse was very old and unfit for purpose. The tarmac tennis The new clubhouse is well equipped with a variety of state-of-the-art The old and inadequate clubhouse built in the 1940s that had reached the The new changing rooms are used by both players and officials. It is a court and MUGA were run-down and could no longer be used. facilities and a 3G AGP that can be used in all-weather. end of its serviceable life. modern facility that will allow the club to cater for the growing demand for football in the area.

Manchester FA to secure the grant in order to improve the site where it is used by National Physical Laboratory Football Club, whose exponential Site where Nicky Butt played as Nicky Butt trained as a child. Twickenham sports club welcome growth as a club had been hindered in recent years by poor changing facilities. youngster transformed The new clubhouse now houses dual-gender changing rooms, new new facilities “with open arms” Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable, MP for Twickenham and Secretary of State for disability access WCs and officials’ rooms, as well as a small café, a kitchen Business, said: “Simply, this is an absolutely outstanding facility. From a A modern community sports hub has replaced a clubhouse previously and a boxing area. The previous clubhouse at the National Physical Laboratory Sports Club grassroots sports point of view, I saw the quality of this site and how it considered not fit for purpose at Droylsden Community and Sports Centre in Twickenham was deemed so bad that visiting players avoided using it! will benefit local sports men and women of all ages. I am delighted to in Manchester. Where the new floodlit third generation (3G) artificial grass Brendan Robinson, the Centre’s Treasurer, said: “Since we got the new The building was so run-down, junior footballers were forced to leave have such an outstanding sporting venue in my constituency. pitch (AGP) now stands there was once a dilapidated tarmac tennis court and facility, the new 3G pitch, plus the new building, our junior teams and without even showering, instead opting for a quick change in either the Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA). our Saturday Soccer School have grown substantially. We’ve also toilets or their cars. “The construction industry is absolutely vital to our country’s economy, increased the numbers at the top with an extra adult team. We’re getting so the Foundation’s continued investment, through money from the A grant worth £864,679 from the Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund more demand. The building is top notch and everyone compliments it. The brand new clubhouse, funded with a grant of £311,468 from the Premier Premier League, The FA and the Government, into grassroots building made the upgrade possible. The Droylsden Youth Centre worked with From what we had to what we’ve got now, it’s wonderful.” League & The FA Facilities Fund, now houses changing rooms, both for players projects, just like this one, is absolutely crucial. That is before you and officials alike. The changing rooms, which also have disabled facilities, are consider the benefits to an area in terms of regeneration, or the burden bolstered by under-floor heating, generous locker space and a medical room. that can be removed from the NHS by giving people the chance to stay fit The club, who worked in partnership with the Middlesex FA to complete the and healthy through participating in sport.” project, invited Business Secretary Vince Cable to open the site in 2013, and

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The Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund is a £102m commitment to improve the country’s local sports infrastructure. With the money for the Fund provided by the Premier League, The FA and the Government through Sport England, the Football Foundation is targeting this investment into areas of most need and where it will have the most impact. With sophisticated bespoke systems and expertise developed over the 14 years since its launch, the Foundation has an unparalleled track record in achieving huge increases in participation, year-on-year.

THE SAINTS’ JOSE FONTE GOES MARCHING IN ON NEW SOUTHAMPTON FACILITY

JOE COLE OPENS FIRST 3G IN BARKING AND DAGENHAM

Joe Cole witnessed a wealth of young talent at a five-a-side match to mark the opening of a new third generation (3G) artificial grass pitch (AGP), the first one to be opened in the area, at Robert Clack School in Southampton defender José Fonte stopped by amongst children, something the SFC Director of Southampton FC Chairman Ralph Kruger who Barking and Dagenham. the Saints Hub, near Southampton FC’s St Mary’s Commercial & Community Partnerships, Mark helped open the facility, said: “This Saints Hub is Stadium, to open a new Multi-Use Games Area Abrahams, expressed his delight at by saying: “The absolutely fantastic. You only need to look at the The Aston Villa FC midfielder, who started his career as a West Ham youngster, (MUGA), which was funded by a £70,533 grant facility will be a great asset locally and we aim to numbers of children already using it to realise just spoke of his pride in opening the new facility: “It’s a real honour for me to from the Premier League Community Facilities Fund ensure it’s a sporting hub for the local community how much of an impact it is going to have on the open this pitch. Surfaces like this, funded by the Premier League & The FA and £79,000 from the Southampton Football Club’s for many years to come.” wider Southampton community. I’m particularly Facilities Fund, are absolutely first class because they don’t get waterlogged, Saints Foundation. delighted that the Saints Foundation has been able and when it gets dark the floodlights mean you can keep on playing!” The Saints Foundation invests time and money into to play such a pivotal role in getting this facility The new MUGA is located at St Mary’s C of E supporting local activity. It invests £1m per year into built, along with help from the Premier League Robert Clack School, who worked with the Essex FA throughout the project, Primary School and will be open all-year round. the local community in order to do so and over Community Facilities Fund.” has a close partnership with West Ham, as the Premier League club’s Under-15 The all-weather and multi-use facility will help 25,000 participants take part in their programmes and Under-16 players take GCSE qualifications at the school. The new pitch, increase sporting activity in the area, particularly year on year. which was funded by a £450,000 grant from The Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund, will also provide a home for four local football clubs – Aztec FC, Roneo Colts FC, Byron Red Star FC and Dagenham Park Rangers FC – who have 60 teams between them.

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SIR TREVOR SETS EAGLES SOARING WITH NEW GRASS PITCHES AND CHANGING PAVILION Former England and West Ham midfielder Sir Trevor Brooking CBE said he was “thrilled” to open a 30-acre real-grass facility in Birmingham. The 11 new pitches, which provide a home ground for Kewford Eagles FC, were made possible thanks to a generous £800,000 grant by The Premier NEW 3G PITCH FOR SCHOOL League & The FA Facilities Fund.

The pitches, completed with a new changing room pavilion, in total cost £1,076,560. Sir Trevor CREDITED WITH PRODUCING Brooking who stepped down as Director of Football Development at The FA in August, was very optimistic about the facility’s potential: “I am ENGLAND INTERNATIONALS thrilled to open this impressive new facility,” he said. “By developing facilities such as this one, the Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund is MICHAEL CHOPRA AND DION The school that Liverpool and England striker attended the high-school, as did Kilmarnock’s not only increasing participation at the grassroots Daniel Sturridge attended, Four Dwellings Tope Obadeyi. level of our national game but also supporting the Academy, opened its brand new third generation development of home-grown talent.” DUBLIN SUPPORT £3M (3G) artificial grass pitch (AGP) recently, thanks Aston Villa, who were represented by Hercules to a £284,285 grant from the Premier League the Lion at the opening, have already hosted a Kewford Eagles FC is run solely by volunteers, & The FA Facilities Fund. The school worked in soccer school on the pitch, cementing existing and has previously won the ME2 award – partnership with the Birmingham FA to help ties between the school and the club. the most prestigious award given by Mencap LEICESTER FACILITY secure the funding. for organisations for the disabled. The new “This fantastic all-weather playing pitch has pitches have delighted the 550 children who Birmingham-based Four Dwellings has an once again established the school as a highly use them regularly, as well as members of the The opening of Aylestone Playing Fields’ Former Leicester City striker, and Football impressive reputation when it comes to sought after centre for local community use, wider community. £2.9m sports facility in Leicestershire by Foundation Ambassador Dion Dublin, who nourishing future professionals. As well as Daniel as well as hopefully shaping the footballing former Premier League striker Michael grow up in Leicester, was also full of praise Sturridge, Joleon Lescott, a West Brom and futures of our very talented young players,” Lynn Boley, Kewford Eagles Charity Trustee, was Chopra, capped off 11 new investments for the new facility: “These new facilities England international player and his brother, said the school’s Principal, Becky Elcocks. hugely appreciative of the funding they received, in the region, costing a combined £5m. are a true investment into grassroots Aaron Lescott, a former Aston Villa player, saying: “The Premier League & The FA Facilities The funding came from the Premier football. To enable and increase the Fund have made our dreams a reality. I want to League, The FA and the Government, participation in sport and physical also put on record our thanks and appreciation via Sport England following Aylestone’s activity for children, adults and families to the Football Foundation in particular, for the close work with the Leicestershire FA. throughout the city is a commitment that lengths that they went to in order to make this will enable people to enhance and change happen for us – helping us to secure funding that The impressive new facility includes a their lives,” he said. is far in excess of grants that they normally award.” full-size third generation (3G) artificial grass pitch (AGP) as well as a state-of-the- With significant adjustments also being art changing pavilion. The site is used by made to the current real-grass pitches at Leicester City Women FC as well as Guru the site, the new and improved centre Nanak Gurdwara (GNG) FC. will increase opportunities for female and disabled teams in an area that has often struggled to satisfy this large demand.

THESE NEW FACILITIES ARE A TRUE INVESTMENT INTO GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL. TO ENABLE AND INCREASE THE PARTICIPATION IN SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR CHILDREN, ADULTS AND FAMILIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY IS A COMMITMENT THAT WILL ENABLE PEOPLE TO ENHANCE AND CHANGE THEIR LIVES”

Dion Dublin, former Leicester City striker and Football Foundation Ambassador

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CITY LEGENDS OPEN NEW 3G PITCH AT MANCHESTER EAST LONDON PITCH GOLDMINE OF TALENT

Manchester City legends Mike Summerbee and Tony so it’ll mean more local people having more Failsworth School has a rich history of producing Book joined Foundation President, Lord Pendry, opportunities to play the beautiful game.” young footballers who have signed professional A STEPNEY IN THE to visit Failsworth School in Manchester to open contracts with clubs. This year alone the school have a brand new third generation (3G) artificial grass The new pitch, which the Manchester FA were amongst their pupils; Louis Myers (Fleetwood Town), pitch (AGP). The new facility was made possible by a instrumental in the planning for, will be available Jamie Stott (Oldham Athletic), Callum Scullion RIGHT DIRECTION £317,348 grant from the Premier League & The FA for use by the local community and will host (Oldham Athletic) and Cameron Humphreys Facilities Fund. matches from the Manchester Youth and Mini (Manchester City and current England Under-18 Soccer League and the Oldham Sunday League, Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Cllr Oliur The new pitch has replaced the previous Captain). Their famous alumni include James Mike Summerbee was pleased to point out the which together attract over 1,300 participants Rahman, said he was “delighted” and “very grateful” sand-dressed one that had deteriorated and is Tarkowski (Brentford FC), Luke Daly (Burnley FC) positive effects the pitch will have on both his old every week. A number of local clubs will also use to have a new third generation (3G) artificial grass the first full-size 3G in Tower Hamlets. The new and Nathan Ecclestone (formerly of Liverpool FC). club and the wider community: “Artificial grass the facilities on a weekly basis, such as Failsworth pitch (AGP) in Stepney Green. Cllr Rahman, who all-weather pitch will concentrate on increasing pitches are so important to grassroots football. Dynamos FC, Failsworth Athletic FC, Hyde FC and opened the site alongside Cabinet Member for participation amongst women, girls, disabled Our Club’s Foundation, City in the Community, Chadderton FC. Culture, Cllr Shafiqul Haque, gave special thanks to players and Mini-Soccer teams. are already delivering sessions at the school, the Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund who gave £451,180 in order to realise the project. Located in Stepney Green Park, the AGP is expected to raise the amount of teams in the area Wright Robinson College in Manchester was Wright Robinson already have an admirable “I am delighted to have such a fantastic facility from 11 to 29. This is in no small part due to the THE KIDS ARE ALL celebrating recently as their brand new third reputation for stellar sports facilities and this in Tower Hamlets. I look forward to residents club and workforce development programme generation (3G) artificial grass pitch (AGP) was new pitch will add to an armoury consisting of making the most of this unique pitch, which will that is provided by the London FA, which aims to WRIGHT WITH NEW officially opened. Over half the cost of the pitch a 25m swimming pool, two 3G AGPs, two sports go a long way to boosting participation in football bolster the amount of clubs, coaches, referees and £440,000 3G PITCH was paid for by the Premier League & The FA halls, a fitness suite, a dance studio, a free weights locally,” said Cllr Rahman. administrators in the area, as well as improving their Facilities Fund with a £298,700 grant, which the room, several tennis courts and real grass overall quality. Manchester FA helped the college to secure. football pitches.

Head Teacher, Neville Beischer, described how the new 3G would further add to their £200,000 WALTHAMSTOW REFURB attractive facilities: “The new 3G AGP will become a tremendous asset to the College and HELPS LINK SPURS AND ORIENT the local community that it serves. Through our extensive network of partners new WITH THE COMMUNITY opportunities will be generated for local people to participate in sport in a safe environment A sports centre in Walthamstow used by and as a venue for a wide range of local football with top class facilities.” Tottenham Hotspur and Leyton Orient to deliver teams to hire. community coaching initiatives, including Premier These new opportunities will include 120 new League Kicks, has been given a new lease of life Tottenham Hotspur Foundation Chief Executive teams in the East Manchester Junior League, after a £200,000 refurbishment. Officer Grant Cornwell said: “The Douglas taking the overall number of teams to 270 Eyre Sports Centre is a vital component in the over the next three years. The pitch will also The re-modelled Dougas Eyre facility, which has work of Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, as help foster a new ten-team division in the City been a hub of local grassroots football activity for it provides a hub for our Foundation Degree, Central League. The AGP will also cater for a several decades, now includes: 14 self-contained Soccer School and Premier League Kicks scheme. comprehensive Coach Education programme as team changing rooms; two officials’ changing rooms; The improvements to the centre, made possible well as hosting a number of Football Association a meeting room; a kitchen and bar. The upgraded in part thanks to the Premier League & The initiatives, such as FA Skills Centres, Vauxhall Mash provisions mean the centre can continue to act FA Facilities Fund, will allow us to continue to Up and Just Play centres. as an education centre for the PFA, London FA, provide sporting opportunities for local people.” who worked with site to secure funding initially,

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A £99,999 grant from The Premier League Students from New Monument School will be members of the wider community will also benefit & The FA Facilities Fund helped subsidise a able to use the pavilion, as will Cardinal Juniors FC, from the pavilion. state-of-the-art changing pavilion at New a newly formed club that will be supported by Monument School in Woking. The new facility Woking Football Club. The budding new players were joined in their will be a welcome addition to the local community celebrations by Woking FC’s mascot, KC KAT. and Mayor of Woking Cllr Anne Roberts was on Football Foundation Trustee, Jonathan Hall, joined A junior football tournament was also held for hand to officially cut the ribbon. the Mayor at the event. Jonathan, who is local to the students from across Maybury, who demonstrated site, is also the Director of Football Services at The their artistic talent by designing Cardinal Juniors’ new Matt Glazier, Woking Borough Council’s Sports Football Association. logo which was unveiled at the event. Development Officer, was also in attendance and expressed his joy at the new facility: “This significant The new facility, which has been supported Jonathan Hall commented: “This project is a investment will ensure that local sports clubs and throughout by the Surrey FA, will complement wonderful example of the sort of projects that the wider local community will benefit by being the two existing junior football pitches at the site, the Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund aims GRASS IS GREENER FOR HINKLEY able to access and use quality facilities, encourage and provide newly formed football club, Cardinal to support: a strong local partnership between sports participation and give the local community Juniors, with a home ground they can be extremely the school, the Council, the community and a facility of which they can be proud.” proud of. The development of Cardinal Juniors Woking FC all working in collaboration to will be supported by Woking Football Club, in develop football in Maybury including a new AFTER NEW PITCHES OPEN partnership with Woking Borough Council. Students football club, Cardinal Juniors.” from Monument School, local sports clubs and

New real grass pitches, made possible thanks to including an FA Charter Standard Development FORMER ENGLAND a Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund grant Club award. The club currently possess 22 teams of £149,823, were opened in Richmond Park, and the new pitches will help the club go from ‘KEEPER OPENS Hinkley, and celebrated with a youth football strength to strength by attracting new players, match to mark the event. The Leicestershire FA as well as improving existing ones. NEW PAVILION IN worked in conjunction with Richmond Park to BRADFORD gain the funding. Cllr David Cope, Executive Member for Culture & Leisure said: “This fantastic project will support Rawdon Meadows playing fields in Bradford received The pitches will host local teams from the more people playing football more often and a welcome boost when their new state-of-the-art Hinckley and District Adult League teams, as well will make a real difference for everyone involved pavilion was officially opened by former England as Green Towers FC. The club are a growing force in football.” goalkeeper, Nigel Martyn. A £98,000 grant from in local football and have won numerous awards the Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund contributed to the £350,000 cost of the project.

John Hollister, the son of one of the The pavilion itself will house new changing rooms WAR HEROES aforementioned 13 veterans, was asked to and a new kitchen. The former Premier League officially open this commemorative site, and the stopper said at the opening: “When I started REMEMBERED well-respected local choreographer, Dame Gillian my football career playing in a minor league in Lynne, was also in attendance. Cornwall, we would have been delighted to WITH NEW SPORTS have had such outstanding facilities and it is PAVILION The playing fields are treasured by the local great to see grassroots football being played on community many of whom have dedicated these pitches and using these facilities today.” A £52,422 grant from the Premier League & The themselves to raising funds towards this project. FA Facilities Fund has helped build a new changing Secretary of Uley Playing Field Trust Tom Williams Woodhouse Grove School who use the pavilion in Uley, Gloucestershire, to commemorate said: “Uley has a long and rich sporting tradition pitches, were delighted to see the new pavilion. 13 local service personnel who lost their lives in and it is fitting that our new memorial pavilion Headmaster David Humphreys expressed their World War One and Two. The facility, which will was opened in memory of the men and women collective joy, saying: “The provision of this be used by Uley Football Club and Uley Cricket of Uley who fought in both World Wars.” substantial new sports pavilion is a visible sign Club, is a timely upgrade on the previous pavilion, to the whole community of the way the school which had reached the end of its serviceable life. works in partnership with the council and Significant support came the Gloucestershire FA our local community to develop amateur and during the facility’s initial planning stages. professional sport.”

18 ONSIDE | The Football Foundation Magazine | Issue 36 ONSIDE | The Football Foundation Magazine | Issue 36 19 KICK-OFF: GROW THE GAME

The Grow the Game Scheme provides grants for ROCHDALE DEAF FOOTBALL STADIA IMPROVEMENT FUND the creation of new football teams and coaching RHINOS FC GO qualifications, with funding provided by the Premier The Football Stadia Improvement Fund (FSIF) provides grants to football FROM STRENGTH clubs to improve their stadium facilities for players, officials and spectators, League and The FA and delivered by the Foundation. TO STRENGTH with money provided by the Premier League. Any clubs can apply for the funding, providing that The key strength of Grow the Game is that its they meet the basic eligibility criteria, with a key participation increases are sustainable rather than focus on teams from the Under-15 age bracket transient. Its grants create a solid infrastructure of and above as well as BME, girls’, women’s and teams and newly trained coaches in which new disability teams. people can start playing the sport, rather than simply providing temporary activity sessions, which £1,500 of funding is available for each new team are then vulnerable to drops in participation once that a club creates. The Grow the Game grants can the programme ends. go towards helping to cover the costs incurred for league entry, referees’ fees, first aid kits, FA coaching courses and football strips.

A £5,000 Grow the Game grant will enable MERSEYRAIL Rochdale Deaf Rhinos FC to create an BOOTLE SET FOR Under-21 and Under-12 team for hearing NEW GIRLS’ TEAM impaired people. The grant will also help to train and develop the volunteers that run the club, through coach Ladies side Merseyrail Bootle FC are to create education courses. The club recognise the a new youth development section at the club importance of giving juniors and adults with following a £5,000 Grow the Game grant. The disabilities an opportunity to get involved in club’s immensely successful debut year has led to football and socialise in a safe environment. overwhelming demand from new players, keen to join the Under-10s team. The club have therefore Dewan Choudhury, Football Development decided to launch a Girls’ Development Section, Officer, said: “The Grow the Game grant which will incorporate girls who will be in school from the Football Foundation is going to Year 3 as of September 2014. make a real difference to our club and the wonderful volunteers that help run it. Under-10 Girls’ Manager, Steve Cavanagh said of the development: “Merseyrail Bootle are focused “We want to continue promoting disability on creating as many opportunities in football football and increase participation from for local girls and we hope that the creation the deaf community.” of this development section will support us in developing a clear pathway from the Under-10s through to the seniors.” ARSENE WENGER OPENS CHICHESTER LADIES GIVEN BOREHAM WOOD FC’S REASON TO SMILE WITH £4,500 GRANT NEW STAND A £4,500 Grow the Game grant will go towards creating an increased number of teams at Arsenal FC Manager Arsene Wenger opened a The club shares a longstanding relationship with Chichester City Ladies FC, by helping with running state-of-the-art stand at Boreham Wood’s Meadow Arsenal Ladies who use the ground for FA Women’s costs and the training of FA qualified coaches. Park ground prior to his side’s pre-season friendly Super League games. Attendances at these matches with the Hertfordshire club. The Gunners’ boss said have risen to an average of 688, with higher profile The money will help Chichester City to run two “it was a great honour” to be asked to cut the matches regularly attracting more than 1,000 more girls’ teams during the first year of the grant, ribbon on the new West Stand, a construction that spectators. This increase is anticipated to continue to at Under-10 and Under-11 level, and one more was made possible thanks to a grant of £241,000 grow over the coming seasons, and the new stand Under-10 team for the following season. from the Football Stadia Improvement Fund (FSIF). will assist in attracting a wider family audience.

The club now run five girls’ teams and two adult The new stand has increased the ground’s seating Additional funding for the project was also teams, as well as providing casual training sessions capacity to 1,420 and the Arsenal manager, who provided by Arsenal FC, as well as Boreham Wood for women and girls keen to improve their fitness has been at the helm of the North London club FC, Hertsmere Borough Council and a personal and get involved in football. for 18 years, was quick to point out how the new contribution from the Chairman, Danny Hunter. stand will help the Conference South club grow: “It is an excellent facility which will allow the club to continue to develop,” he said. “I am very pleased that we were able to come together with Boreham Wood FC, the Football Stadia Improvement Fund and other funders to make this project a reality.”

20 ONSIDE | The Football Foundation Magazine | Issue 36 ONSIDE | The Football Foundation Magazine | Issue 36 21 PARTNERSHIPS

BARCLAYS SPACES FOR SPORTS UNITED HERO PETER Barclays Spaces for Sports is a community sports programme which uses the power of sport Spaces for Sports to help young people develop the confidence and skills they need, and revitalise disadvantaged SCHMEICHEL communities. As part of this programme, Barclays has partnered with the Football Foundation BACK AT OLD to develop 200 community facilities across the UK, which cater for a wide range of sports. TRAFFORD! Arguably Manchester United’s greatest ever goalkeeper was back at Old Trafford recently. Peter Schmiechel popped in to Since 2004 Barclays has supported disadvantaged communities by FAYE WHITE ALWAYS the Old Trafford Sports Barn – the Barcays investing in sports sites and social change programmes. Over £40m has VILLA’S VASSELL Spaces for Sports site that is linked with Man CELEBRATING A been invested in the UK and internationally by the Spaces for Sports KNEW ROSEMARY United – to join in a panel discussion with programme which is part of Barclays’ commitment to 5 Million Young BACK HOME AT representatives from the Football Foundation, Futures – a goal to build the next generation of achievers by helping THE ASTON GARDENS WAS Trafford Community Leisure Trust and TUF*C DECADE OF BARCLAYS them develop enterprise, employability and financial skills. Programme on grassroots sport. GUNNER BE GOOD! The Football Foundation has helped to create these 200 community SPORTS PITCHES Home to 699 regular visitors, the Old Trafford sports sites by investing £30m and now has the objective to ensure these The Aston Sports Pitches is a hub of activity, Barclays and the Football Foundation have invested Sports Barn opened in 2005 and has become sites continue to serve their communities for the foreseeable future. SPACES FOR SPORTS serving a wide and diverse range of users in north £650,000 into Rosemary Gardens to include the a centre point for community sport. Having With more than 53,000 people using the Barclays Spaces for Sports Birmingham. Located opposite Villa Park, the home construction of a floodlit third generation artificial received £665,000 worth of funding from sites every week the partnership is well on its way to achieving this goal. of Aston Villa FC, the site hosts a number of key grass pitch, as well as changing room pavilion and Barclays and the Football Foundation the To celebrate this success, four events were held across the country to sports initiatives including Premier League Kicks the refurbishment of two tennis courts. The facility Sports Barn now runs a variety of sporting highlight the huge success that the programme has had. and The FA’s Mars Just Play scheme. Having had has 753 regular users at the site who attend a sessions with partners including Manchester £649,727 invested by Barclays and the Football variety of sporting sessions provided by partners United. Current facilities include two Foundation the site now has 591 regular users like Arsenal in the Community. all-weather third generation artificial grass and is home to 22 football teams. pitches and two outdoor hard courts. Former England and Arsenal Ladies Captain Faye Born just a few minutes’ walk from the site, White said: “The investment in projects like former Villa player, Darius Vassell, said: “It was a Rosemary Gardens, and hundreds of others very proud moment for me to help celebrate across the country means that young people ten years of Barclays Spaces for Sports in my have access to quality facilities where they can hometown. Barclays and the Football Foundation enjoy all the benefits associated with playing deserve real credit for their investment over the sport, like improving their health and teamwork last decade.” skills. This area is better off thanks to Barclays and the Football Foundation.”

Steve Claridge with Caroline Burley (Corporate Director, Barclays), youth worker Louis Faith and representatives from Pompey in the Community and Portsmouth City Council. POMPEY LEGEND CLARIDGE SALUTES BRANSBURY PARK’S WORK Former Portsmouth striker Steve Claridge helped kick-off Barclays Spaces The site was redeveloped thanks to Barclays and the Football Foundation for Sports celebrations in Portsmouth by reflecting on the positive work at each providing £300,000 of capital investment. Barclays then awarded further Bransbury Park and commenting on the effect football has had on his life. sustainability funding of £81,348, and through the Foundation provided the site with consultancy expertise to ensure it can continue to serve the local Bransbury Park, which was created after consultation between Portsmouth community for many years to come. City Council and Pompey in the Community – Portsmouth FC’s community arm, has 1,548 regular users with participation having risen 57% in 2013/14. Amit Mandahlia, a coach at the Old Trafford Sports Barn, poses with Peter Schmeichel and the Barclays Premier League trophy 22 ONSIDE | The Football Foundation Magazine | Issue 36 ONSIDE | The Football Foundation Magazine | Issue 36 23 PARTNERSHIPS SOUTHWARK MAYOR OF LONDON: SPORTS FACILITIES FUND COUNCIL The Mayor of London: Sports Facilities Fund is part of the Mayor’s commitment to GRANT AMOUNT: £50,000 deliver a sporting legacy from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, aiming to raise TOTAL PROJECT participation levels in sport, in London, through the funding of new or refurbished sports COST: £180,000 facilities. The money is provided by the Mayor of London and provides grants which help to develop affordable, good quality local facilities within local communities in London. Southwark Council were awarded £50,000 from The Fund is delivered by the Foundation. the Fund towards the upgrade of the gymnastics centre at Camberwell Baths.

The previous facility was in poor condition and unable to deliver quality sports provisions for the community. The Council therefore required funding The Football Foundation is proud to be improving Londoners’ access to good Those participants are partaking in approximately 20 different sports at more in order to create a multi-purpose indoor facility, quality and affordable facilities by delivering the Mayor of London: Sports than 100 different sites across every single London borough, which otherwise which will cater for floor and apparatus gymnastics Facilities Fund. A testament to the legacy left by the 2012 Olympic and would not have been there but for the Mayor’s investment. The case studies as well as other studio based activities to allow for Paralympic Games, more than 51,000 people (33,000 male and 18,000 female) over this double page spread give just a flavour of the types of projects that maximum participation in a variety of activities. use Mayor of London: Sports Facilities Fund sites every single week. have benefitted from major upgrades. The grant was also used for improvements to the flooring, lighting and air conditioning, accessibility and redecoration, which have all contributed to a KINGSTON stunning redevelopment. RIDING SCHOOL GRANT AMOUNT: £23,955 TOTAL PROJECT COST: £42,955

Kingston Riding School received £23,955 from the Fund towards the refurbishment of several of their horse riding facilities in order to increase the general usage of the site.

The previous indoor facility had only a basic soil surface which had been in place for many years, so was replaced with a high quality Ecotrack which improves the sporting experience of the rider by providing a lower impact on the horses. Further improvements included the installation ASPIRE NATIONAL of non-invasive lighting to enable the School to deliver more riding lessons for the community and TRAINING CENTRE free riding activities in both the evenings and early mornings over the winter months. GRANT AMOUNT: £13,705 TOTAL PROJECT COST: £22,842

NEWHAM SIXTH Aspire National Training Centre, the first fully integrated Training Centre in Europe for disabled FORM COLLEGE and non-disabled people, received £13,705 in order to refurbish their sports hall to ensure that GRANT AMOUNT: £32,122 the facilities are kept as modern as possible.

TOTAL PROJECT The grant was used to replace several items such COST: £58,123 as old basketball nets, faulty scoreboards and heavy separating curtain in the hall to split the hall into Newham Sixth Form College received £32,122 two playing areas to maximise usage. The entry from the Fund in order to develop a new outdoor doors have also been replaced and are now gym and cricket nets. automatically operated so as to allow for easy access for wheelchair users to the sports hall. The College previously did not have the facilities to cater for the amount of students they had, with space for only eight people at a time in their indoor fitness suite. However, the installation of several pieces of outdoor gym equipment has benefited the college hugely. Furthermore, the installation of a demountable cricket netting facility, with a 3G carpet bowling end which can be used for multi-sport training, fitness and physical activity all year round, is being used by the college’s cricket academy which enjoys strong links with several local cricket clubs.

24 ONSIDE | The Football Foundation Magazine | Issue 36 ONSIDE | The Football Foundation Magazine | Issue 36 25 PARTNERSHIPS: CLUB CASHBACK

Help your club raise money through Fundraising can ‘snowball’ with Club Club Cashback every time you buy online Cashback, says Sutton United Boss

Did you know your local club could receive money direct to their bank account “An excellent way of fundraising – quick, easy PAYS FOR AN and simple” is how Mike Long described the every time you shop online? Club Cashback, a scheme created by the Football Football Foundation’s fundraising tool Club Foundation and Club Website, allows you to raise funds for your club simply by £30 HOUR-LONG Cashback. Despite only using the scheme for 12 purchasing online from your favourite shops. TRAINING SESSION FROM months, Mike and his club, Sutton United FC, have raised £1,200 through the scheme, and the club’s A QUALIFIED FA LEVEL joint Chairman and First Team manager explained THERE ARE THREE QUICK AND EASY STEPS TO CASHBACK: THREE CERTIFIED COACH how exactly this money helps the club. “We plough the money back into the club,” 1. Register through cashback.footballfoundation.org.uk and select explained Mike. “It goes into our development your club. fund or our ‘rainy day fund’ for when we need something! If we can’t get a sponsor for a kit 2. Search through thousands of popular retailers on the Club Cashback £50 PAYS FOR TEN then we will pay for that, or if we need to rent portal. Among a variety of shops you will be able find: Marks & Spencer, NEW MATCH FOOTBALLS a floodlit pitch for a one-off game. We will use it for ground development, goalposts, anything, Play.Com, B&Q and Sports Direct. you name it. With all the teams we have there is always something.” 3. Purchase what you want and up to 15% of what you spend will go directly in to your club’s bank account. The money raised from each purchase can PAYS FOR Mike explained how Club Cashback is a go a long way… £100 TWO “really important part” of Sutton United’s fundraising, supporting the club during a period FULL-SIZE GOAL NETS of unprecedented success. Whilst two of their boys’ teams won league titles last season, one of their girls’ sides, who play in the same division Go to footballfoundation.org.uk/clubcashback to begin raising similar as Football League clubs Coventry City, amounts of money for your club. ALSO Birmingham City and Aston Villa, reached a cup PAYS FOR final. The men’s team have had an equally fruitful £100 return in recent seasons, winning the league title A QUALIFIED REFEREE three years consecutively. FOR THREE GAMES; (THIS Asked whether he would recommend Club CAN VARY FROM REGION Cashback to other clubs, Mike gave a resounding TO REGION) ‘yes,’ saying “I would definitely recommend it! You’ve got nothing to lose. The more people you can get involved with it, the more money it will raise and it will just snowball from there.” PAYS FOR Photos: Tim Lloyd £250 8 JUNIOR PORTABLE GOALS

PAYS FOR £500 A NEW KIT AND KITBAG FOR A SQUAD OF 15

£1,000 CAN PUT THE WHEELS IN MOTION TO SECURING FOUNDATION PARTNERSHIP FUNDING FOR A NEW PITCH, NEW CHANGING ROOMS OR MORE TEAMS

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“Get on my land!” – farmer’s field is now Royal National College for the Blind major multi-sport centre looking forward to prosperous future

Kevin Whitehorn, Facility Manager at Calne Town Council, explains how our Football Foundation Grant Manager, Richard Williams, explains how our Funders’ investment has transformed a patch of farmland into a bustling sporting intervention helped get a facility firing on all cylinders for the community hub in Wiltshire and blind sportspeople

Back in 2008, following work with the Herefordshire The Foundation’s support helped create a strategic FA a £1m grant from the Premier League, The FA planning group, along with the help of The FA at and Government, via Sport England was awarded to regional, county and national level. thePoint4, a leisure the Royal National College for the Blind (RNCB) in provider who manage the site and help to support Hereford. The grant went towards an indoor sports the college and people with sight loss, worked hall, specifically designed for Futsal, as well as a with the both the RNCB and the planning group sand-dressed artificial grass pitch (AGP). It was to target the issues faced. New line markings and opened by Sir Trevor Brooking in 2009, becoming dividing nets were introduced to create a more the world’s first Blind Football Academy. flexible sporting space.

The site was equipped with a sports and Thanks to these adaptions, Olympic Sports Netball complimentary therapy building, a sports hall, a and Goalball now base leagues and tournaments floodlit AGP and halls of residence. In order to at the college. The site’s initial role as a football specifically help foster growth in blind football, the developmental project has also been enhanced, with AGP which replaced the previous one that was unfit the Hereford FA establishing a new successful futsal for use, was made ‘blind-friendly’. This means that league, running skill sessions, school events and coach it incorporated sound barriers, used for not only education programmes. helping the ball to stay in play but also by creating a distinguishable noise in order for the players to be As a result of the new possibilities that have been more aware of where the ball is. created by alterations to the site, the facility has engendered improved links with schools, leading The site was proud to host the 2010 Blind World to increased daytime usage. Moreover, creations of Cup and the college was highly acclaimed for its new football and business plans have improved the role in what was a hugely successful tournament. sites ability to monitor and measure its progress Additionally, the site was used frequently by Hereford and development. Exemplifying this growth is the Football Club and several other local teams. increased income and participation, which is up by 25% from the previous year. Despite these successes, however, intervention from the Football Foundation began in 2013 following a Chris Combe, Centre Manager, said: “The Football request from the site to change the football-specific Foundation has helped us enormously to change sports hall to better enable a wider range of sports. the fortunes of our facility. We needed help to This was requested after the site had experienced address a fall in users, and revenue, so we asked the Back in 1998 a Wiltshire Council survey found their Knowledge & Insight staff to make sure the professional clubs, which gives talented a drop in income from local grassroots teams and Foundation for assistance. They guided us through a that the area was desperately short on sport and site was delivering the football development plan kids a chance to play a better level of football professional ones. On top of this some important range of improvements including establishing a new recreation areas. This was further compounded that was drawn up when we applied for funding. which, in turn, supports the development of partnerships had stopped functioning effectively, so futsal league in conjunction with the Hereford FA. by the population growing hugely. After years We were delighted to score five out of five – home-grown talent. the Football Foundation was keen to help the site The Foundation don’t just award a grant and then of work, a farmer’s field that simply had grazing the question from the Foundation was actually reach its full potential. walk away, they are committed to making sure that animals on it was identified and a plan was put how we could make the site deliver even more And it is not just football. The facility hosts Calne your project achieves everything it should be for its together to turn it into a major sporting hub for for the local area. Cricket Club and Calne Tennis Club, as well as entire life.” our community. lacrosse, archery and netball. We said there was undeveloped land on the site When the Football Foundation awarded us a £1m that was being used for harvesting. The Foundation The pavilion also hosts a number of indoor sports grant from the Premier League & The FA Facilities asked if we built new pitches, would FC Calne like table tennis and judo, as well as well as weight Fund in 2006 that plan could become a reality. It be able to expand and provide even more loss and local NHS groups. It also caters for a wide enabled us to develop a stunning changing pavilion opportunities for budding local footballers. We range of other activities beyond sport, including on the site, along with 11 real grass football said the club could easily expand to 61 teams and weddings, christenings, birthday parties and even pitches with proper drainage systems. This then a second Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund a local choir. It can hold up to 150 people seated immediately became the home base for local grant of £98,922 has enabled us to develop four and the bar also brings revenue into the venue junior club, FC Calne, which has seen an explosion new pitches and for FC Calne to accommodate which helps to pay for its upkeep. in its number of teams and players since the facility age-appropriate, small-sided football for youngsters. was developed. I cannot overstate the impact that the site has had. FC Calne were also awarded a Grow the Game It is used 52 weeks a year, no break – even at the In fact such was the growth in participation thanks grant from the Foundation which has helped them evenings we are going 10 to 11o’clock at night to the Football Foundation-funded facility we very establish a new disability team and a ladies’ section. hosting different things! We are now home to quickly outgrew the 11 pitches. The site also accommodates courses run by the 65 teams and 40,000 people attend the facility Wiltshire FA, so local people get qualified on site. every year. The Football Foundation did not simply give us a cheque and walk away, hoping the facility got We hosted a Junior Premier League pre-season Kevin Whitehorn was speaking to ONSIDE Editor built okay and was used properly. A year after tournament where 5,000 people attended the Rory Carroll. the facility was built we had a ‘support day’ with site over the weekend. These are clubs linked with

28 ONSIDE | The Football Foundation Magazine | Issue 36 ONSIDE | The Football Foundation Magazine | Issue 36 29 MATCH REPORT

NEW TEAMS CLUBS OF TEAMS ARE Grown the Game continues 6,777 CREATED 1,261 FUNDED 87% SUSTAINABLE

to increase participation OF TEAMS DEPENDENT ON IN GRANT AWARDS 87% GROW THE GAME GRANTS £6.1M SINCE 2010

OF CLUBS PUT NEW PLAYERS DOWN NEW PLAYERS 78% TO GROW THE GAME GRANT 91,702 CREATED

The Premier League and The FA-funded Grow players, so data collected that refers specifically Similarly, it is predicted 92 new disability the Game scheme has proven immensely NEW TEAMS to player-to-player involvement is key. Overall, GROWING THE teams will be created, encompassing 1,537 new popular since the Football Foundation began Since 2010, the Football Foundation has awarded a minimum of 20,000 new players are created GAME AMONGST players. This is almost three times as many as administering it in 2010. In 2014 alone the £6.1m to 1,261 clubs as part of the Grow the per £1.5m invested by the Premier League & the 31 disability teams that have been created Foundation received applications worth more Game scheme – this equates to 6,777 new The FA, a figured evidenced by the fact that since UNDER-REPRESENTED since 2012. than double the scheme’s £1.5m budget. teams who were not previously playing football. 2010, 91,702 new players have emerged through Above all, this money is aimed at creating more Grow the Game funding. These figures are also GROUPS Grow the Game focuses on supporting individual teams in order for more children and supported by positive feedback from individual We have focused the scheme on increasing BEN BACKS GROW grassroots bodies, from football clubs to parish adults to play football competitively. Funding clubs, with 78% of teams saying that their new participation amongst certain demographics THE GAME councils, by funding the creation of new football not only helps create new teams through direct players would not be currently playing football that are under-represented at the grassroots teams. Its aim is to increase participation in means, like paying subscription fees and staff, without the grant they received. level – specifically increasing opportunities to Ben Shephard, TV presenter and Football football across a broad spectrum of age groups, but importantly it contributes to many of the play for those with disabilities, the women and Foundation Ambassador once again helped us abilities and demographics. administrational costs of running a new team. girls’ game, and the fourteen-plus age group, promote the Grow the Game scheme, welcomed These can include paying for First Aid kits, CRB NEW COACHES which traditionally suffers from severe drops in the impact the funding has made, saying: “Grow Earlier this year the Foundation worked alongside checks, football kits and marketing. Grow the Game grants also fund FA coaching participation levels. the Game makes a huge difference to grassroots the Premier League and The FA to target specific courses. To date, Grow the Game is responsible clubs and their volunteers – and the statistics age groups and demographics. These were Of all those teams that have been created, 87% for 7,937 coaching courses, which include: Compared to the figures for two-year grants back that up. For every £1.5m invested by the pinpointed in order to accelerate participation of grantees said that they would not have been 2,882 FA Coaching Level 1; 951 First Aid; 751 awarded in 2012, future forecasts will highlight Premier League and The FA 20,000 new players and stem a rise in dropouts from football across able to create a team without their Grow the Safeguarding; 318 FA Youth Module and 275 how the Foundation is delivering against the are created. certain targets. The network of County FAs Game grant. Similarly, 87% of clubs said the new Refereeing courses. These help provide new and Premier League’s and The FA’s strategic aims. proactively attracted applications on the ground. team would be sustainable once the grant has existing footballers with the professional and For example, while 60% of the 1,471 teams “Additionally, more than 7,937 coaching courses come to an end. educational framework they require. The total created in the 2012/13 season are either disability, have been funded to date, which supports the The Foundation’s Knowledge & Insight team focus number of courses that are projected to be female or mixed teams, it is projected that 378 new players created with coaches to manage on the quantitative successes of Grow the Game undertaken as part of the £6.1m overall Grow female teams will be created from the most and train emerging talent, especially amongst grants in terms of the creation of new teams, NEW PLAYERS the Game investment is 15,271. recent batch of grants. This is in comparison to girls, those with disabilities and the fourteen players, coaches and referees. The results to date The creation of teams doesn’t necessarily the 231 female teams created over the past two plus group.” are impressive! guarantee sustained participation from new seasons combined.

jobs, be more confident and be better Which team do you support? I think he’s probably the best player or in the community. Aston Villa, who play just across the one of the best players in the world road from Barclays’ Aston Sports right now. How important is a strong Pitches site. grassroots game to help the If Villa could sign any player from professional game? How did it feel to pull on the history who would you choose? I think it’s very important. It’s where Villa shirt and play for them? Lionel Messi! Definitely Lionel Messi. your basics such as communication, It really was a dream come true. I think he’d suit Villa. Every time he determination, and organisation can When I was running around in gets the ball he does something come from. It’s where you get your the park as a seven-year-old I was exciting. As a Villa fan my favourite first glimpses of those sorts of things visualising myself with the football player was Tony Daley. Not a lot of to carry on in the academic world or kit on and scoring goals for Villa, people would remember him but he Darius Vassell the sports world, depending on what and I was lucky enough to achieve was the kind of guy that when he got you choose to do. that. Obviously that’s not going to the ball, he’d do something special Former England and and that’s the enjoyment I get out of Aston Villa striker happen to every child, so we can’t You heard about the skills forget that there are still other things football, that’s why I love the game. Barclays Spaces for Sports to the game aside from becoming a Tell us a little bit about the teaches young people, like Tell us something about yourself Barclays Spaces for Sports professional. Like I said earlier, there how to manage their money are a lot of social skills which you pick which would surprise people. programme. and how to write CVs, how I’m actually an 11 handicap golfer, I think it’s a great initiative. When I up from the grassroots game which important is that? are very important. not many people would know that, was a youngster these sorts of things It’s extremely important and very but I love my golf. It’s another sport weren’t available. We had to come up worthwhile. For youngsters, if you Who is the best player you ever I wish I got the opportunity to play with our own ideas of playing games combine learning a practical skill in as a youngster, although it’s a bit and playing sports! But this is amazing, played against? a sports environment, it is a great As a defender, it would probably be more difficult to rig up a golf course so I look forward to having kids of marriage because sometimes it is somewhere to get the kids on! Maybe my own and being able to take them Rio Ferdinand or Ledley King. Other hard for children to go to school and than a defender, it would probably sometime in the future you might see to this kind of place. Hopefully in the learn these things around a desk in an me playing somewhere as a semi-pro future there will be more just like this be Cristiano Ronaldo. He played for environment that some can’t wait to Portugal while I was with England and or pro, who knows? because it means youngsters will get get out of.

STAR PLAYER STAR PLAYER STAR PLAYER WHO’S MADE A DIFFERENCE?

The Football Foundation and the We have over 300 children involved by the club and the community, he Football Stadia Improvement Fund with the football club, training and continually comes up with solutions have given us 19 consecutive years of enjoying football. The football club is to the club’s problems. Les is very development at the football ground, the corner stone of the community influential throughout the club. so suffice to say the club would of North Ferriby and we’ve got one Anything you need, he is there in not have achieved the level it has of the highest local participations of person, and always on the end of done with regards to its facilities any club in the country. The support the phone. During my time at the had we not had help from the that we have been given by the club he has been ever present and Football Foundation. Football Foundation has enabled an his impact on the club and everyone awful lot of people to get involved involved with it has been enormous. A Chairman at a non-league club is and derive benefit from everything everything from chief executive to that is being done by the club.” The committee who work with Les Name: Les Hare bottle washer, but as the club have has been there for several years and Position: Chairman grown there’s only a certain amount THEY SAY: “Les and his wife Gill they have all stayed very loyal to him you can take on yourself. There are look after everything from a bacon – through the good times and the Club: North Ferriby literally hundreds of people that sandwich to the boardroom, they bad. That is testament to the man United FC have contributed in one way, shape are a husband and wife team in he is. There is no way the club would or form. Pride, passion and belief is every sense of the word. Whatever be anywhere near where they are LES SAYS: “My first year as the motto that we instilled at the needs to be done, Les does it and it’s today without him. He thoroughly chairman was 1994. 20 years in football club and all the people that amazing to think that he balances a deserves this recognition in ONSIDE the seat and the progress of the have helped me over the years have full time job with running the club. – very well done, Les!” club has been a great pleasure, brought that to the table. including several promotions and Les is a Sir Alex Ferguson-type Richard Lee, Under-8 coach, North a Wembley trip. character really. Well thought of Ferriby United FC

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