Wetherby Athletic score with funding success

There’s good news for Wetherby as Wetherby Athletic have been awarded a £5,000 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.

The funding will enable Wetherby Athletic, who play in the West Yorkshire League, to prepare their football pitches so that they are match-fit for when it is safe to play football again, following Government advice.

They can use their grant towards to help 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 Wetherby can sign up at https://thefa.hivelearning.com/groundskeeping.

Chris Johnston, Secretary and Treasurer at Wetherby Athletic, said: “The grant is great news for Wetherby Athletic and will help us improve the pitches that were damaged last year after the floods and we would like to thank the football foundation for approving the application”

Robert Sullivan, Interim Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “This is a vital grant to help Wetherby Athletic 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.