Press Release
20 January 2016
Hayley McQueen backs £1.5m fund to create new
grassroots football teams for underrepresented groups
Football Foundation Ambassador and Sky Sports News anchor, Hayley McQueen,
has announced that £1.5m of funding, designed specifically for grassroots clubs to
start new teams and qualify more coaches to cater for under-represented groups, is
set to open for applications.
The Grow the Game scheme is designed to increase participation in our national
game by helping clubs with the costs associated with creating new teams, which will
give opportunities to those who have limited options to join a team.
Funded by the Premier League and The FA, Grow the Game is delivered by the
Football Foundation, the nation’s largest sports charity.
The fund will boost playing opportunities for three specific sections of society for
whom the opportunities to play football have always been traditionally limited. These
are:
 women and girls;
 disabled players;
 and male teams of Under-14s-and-upwards.
Applications are only being accepted for teams within these target groups providing
they meet the basic eligibility criteria.
£1,500 is available for each new team that a club creates with the grants, the amount
is aimed at covering the costs incurred for league entry, referees’ fees, first aid kits,
FA coaching courses, football strips and more.
The application window for Grow the Game applications will open on Monday 1
February 2016 and close on Thursday 10 March 2016. For clubs seeking more
information on Grow the Game should contact their local County FA or visit
www.footballfoundation.org.uk/apply/grow-the-game/.
Hayley is urging clubs to take advantage of this funding to create new football teams.
She said: “The Grow the Game scheme is an excellent chance for grassroots
clubs to expand and get coaches qualified. I think getting more people playing
sport is very important so to give football teams the resources to do this is
fantastic to see.
“The Football Foundation’s partnership with the Premier League and The FA in
delivering the Grow the Game scheme has had incredible results since it
began in 2010, last year’s window alone saw nearly 2,000 new teams created.
“The application window opens on Monday 1 February, and any clubs who
believe they match the criteria to apply, should visit
www.footballfoundation.org.uk, or speak to their local County FA, to find out
more information.”
As well as delivering Grow the Game, the Football Foundation delivers the Premier
League & The FA Facilities Fund on behalf of the Premier League, The FA and the
Government, through Sport England. Since 2000, the Foundation has supported
over 14,000 grassroots projects worth more than £1.3bn.
ENDS
For more information contact Harry Simmons on 0345 345 4555 Ext: 4274 or
[email protected]
Notes to editors
About Grow the Game
The key strength of Grow the Game is that its participation increases are sustainable rather
than transient. Its grants create a solid infrastructure of teams and newly-trained coaches in
which new people can start playing the sport, rather than simply providing temporary activity
sessions, which are then vulnerable to drops in participation once the programme ends.
During the 2014/15 season the Football Foundation through its Grow the Game scheme
achieved:
 1,932 new teams.
 9,437 female footballers.
 34,266 male footballers.
 6,293 new coaching qualifications.
Since it was launched in 2010, the Grow the Game scheme has achieved:
 6,797 disabled footballers since 2010.
 19,500 new football players per £1.5m invested.
Since 2000 the Foundation has funded:
 2,278 facility projects with grants worth £431,338,990 (total project cost:
£1,014,384,407)
 564 artificial grass pitches
 2,783 grass pitches
 927 changing facilities
 93 multi-use games areas (MUGAs)