There’s good news for Newton Aycliffe FC as the Club have been awarded a £1,500 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 the Club, who play in the Ebac Northern League Division One, to prepare their football pitch so that it is match-fit for when it is safe to play football again, following Government advice.

They can use their grant towards help 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 the pitch.

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 Newton Aycliffe can sign up at https://thefa.hivelearning.com/groundskeeping.

Allan Oliver, Chairman of Newton Aycliffe FC, said: “this grant from the Football Foundation is a tremendous help to get us ready for next season. We have been working hard to improve the pitch and I am delighted that we’ve been able to secure this extra funding. We’ve also raised over £1,500 through a GoFundMe campaign thanks to the generosity of our fantastic local community.”

Robert Sullivan, Interim Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “This is a vital grant to help Newton Aycliffe FC get their pitch 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.