THE Football Association have announced plans to pump over a quarter of a billion pounds into grass-roots football over the next four years.
The ambitious plans will be supplemented by a further multi-million pound investment supported by government in the creation of 30 new city hubs across England.
The National Game Strategy for Participation and Development, launched by FA chief executive Martin Glenn in Preston on Wednesday, will target four key areas of the amateur game for investment between now and 2019.
The four targets are boosting participation, developing better players, better training and facilities and a football workforce.
Glenn said: “There are challenges facing grass-roots football both in terms of facilities and coaching. Today we have set out how we will tackle the challenges head on.
“We have identified four key areas in which we have committed to investing £260 million over the next four years – facilities, coaching, participation and developing the football workforce. Our goals are ambitious, but achievable.”
Kelly Simmons MBE, FA director for participation and development, added: “It is no secret that facilities need to get better – today we set out clearly and unequivocally how we can make that happen – not only through the creation of city hubs, but also investing in improving what already exists. Our relationship with the Premier League and DCMS through our commitment to the Football Foundation is key to achieving this.
“Having recognised the benefits of achieving Charter Standard status, 85 per cent of youth teams in England now have a qualified coach, which accounts for nearly one million Under 16s benefiting from such access. Alongside that we have seen the growth of youth football by 5,000 new teams since 2011.
“We have come a long way in youth football and it is a similar story in women’s and disability football. We know that 40,000 more girls and women are playing football regularly in the past two years and this is without the increased profile thee England women’s team have brought to the sport.”
