Farnborough Old Boys Guild receive £20,000 grant from The Football Foundation to improve their two pitches at Farrow Fields

FARNBOROUGH Old Boys Guild have been awarded a grant of £20,160 over six years to improve their pitches at Farrow Fields.

The club were sitting in the top-five in the Kent County League Premier Division table at the time of the suspension owing to the coronavirus outbreak that has halted football in the UK.

Matt Ellis, the clubs grant and funding manager, secured the funding from The Football Foundation and groundsman Steve Viner is negotiating and working with the preferred sub-contractors at the ground, which is situated on Farnborough High Street.

The club have been awarded a grant from the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation, to upgrade their pitches.

The Football Foundation is the UK’s largest sports charity and exists to improve the experience of playing football for everyone, by championing fair access to quality facilities.

This grant will enable the amateur club, who give 120 players the chance to play football each week, to improve their pitch facilities.

Players will be able to enjoy better quality pitches, which will represent a significant improvement on the existing poorly drained surfaces.

Farnborough Old Boys Guild worked with the Football Foundation and The Kent Football Association to secure a £20,160 grant towards the project.

The award is split over the next six years which equates to £3,360 per year, to be spent on topdressing and overseeding of the club’s two pitches.

Three of the first-team’s home fixtures during the now expunged 2019-20 football season were postponed due to waterlogging.

Danny Saines, the chairman of Farnborough Old Boys Guild, said in a statement: “Football makes a huge difference to the players, coaches and community here. We see first-hand the impact on players’ confidence, physical health and mental focus.

“To receive this funding from the Premier League, The FA and the Government through the Football Foundation means a lot to us, as it will help us to improve grassroots sport in the area and get even more people involved in the nation’s favourite game.”

Lee Suter, who is the Football Development manager at The Kent FA said: “We are committed to supporting our clubs on the field as much as possible with funding and support.

“Farnborough Old Boys Guild have demonstrated what a dedicated volunteer workforce with a vision can achieve and ultimately improve the playing experience for everyone within the club and its football community”.

Paul Thorogood, the Chief Executive of the Football Foundation added: “We’re dedicated to improving grassroots football facilities because we want to encourage more people to get involved in our nation’s favourite game, regardless of their background, age or ability.

“That’s why I’m delighted that this funding will support Farnborough Old Boys Guild in developing improved pitches for the local community.

“Made possible by investment from the Premier League, The FA and the Government, via Sport England, the Football Foundation is supporting the grassroots game by improving access to high-quality football facilities across the country.

“We believe in the power of pitches to transform lives and strengthen communities and so we’ll be investing £1bn across the country over the next 10 years.”

Luke Johnson’s side collected 33 points from their 21 of their 30 league games and were 19 points adrift of leaders Staplehurst Monarchs United before the season was controversially declared null and void by The Football Association.

Visit Farnborough Old Boys Guild’s website: www.fobgfc.org