Paulton Rovers have completed work on their new ground equipment purchase thanks to a £8,694 grant from the Premier League through the Football Stadia Improvement Fund (FSIF), the largest funders of non-league football in the country.
The funding enables the club to improve and keep both the pitch and training pitch in a good playing condition. The equipment will be managed and used by the groundsmen team – Mike, Chris and Rob Filer.
Funded with £5.2m each year from the Premier League, the FSIF is the country’s largest provider of grants towards projects that help improve the comfort and safety of lower league football grounds in both the professional and amateur game. These improvements range from new football stands and turnstiles to floodlighting and improved provision for disabled supporters.
David Bissex, Chairman at Paulton Rovers, said: “We are very grateful to the The Football Stadia Improvement Fund that gave us this grant – without which, we would not be able to purchase the equipment to maintain our pitches in the excellent condition that they are in at the moment. This provides us with a playing surface that is second to none in the area, and is
required for our team to compete in the Evostik Southern League, along with our Under-18 Youth Side, Sunday Side and another local team to play on. It also helps to keep the training pitch in a good condition to provide a good surface to train on.”
Peter McCormick OBE, Chairman of the Football Stadia Improvement Fund, said: “It is a fundamental principle that clubs should be able to progress competitively and not be hindered because of unsatisfactory facilities, so naturally, I am pleased to see that this £8,694 grant will go towards the Ground Maintenance Equipment Project at Paulton Rovers. The work of the FSIF is only possible because of the generous support of the Premier League, and this investment is a further example of funding which will help to improve the supporters’ experience.”