The Prime Minister has announced a £50m investment in football pitches to help support the wave of interest in the sport inspired by EURO 2020 and Women’s EURO 2022.
Combined with contributions from the Football Association and Premier League as well as other local partners, this latest funding commitment will build 185 new 3G artificial pitches, improve 5,000 existing grass pitches and create 9 ‘hub’ sites with multiple pitches.
The investment will be targeted at left-behind communities and will address health inequalities, encouraging children and young people to get more active.
The funding is in addition to the £25m for new community football pitches announced by the Chancellor at the Budget earlier this year.
‘On the back of the inspirational success of the Three Lions and as anticipation builds for the women’s Euros next year, we want to seize the moment and build the pitches for a golden decade of football,’ said culture secretary Oliver Dowden.
‘This investment will provide top facilities for the Kanes, Sterlings and Houghtons of tomorrow to hone their skills.
‘Playing sport is a fundamental part of building back better and healthier from covid. This extra £50m funding will ensure that families right across the country have fantastic grassroots facilities on their doorstep. We committed to levelling up and we are delivering.’
