The Premier League has announced increased financial support for clubs through the football pyramid to make improvements to their stadiums.
Grants totalling £16 million are being made available to clubs in the National League System and women’s football pyramid between now and the end of next season. This is more than double the existing annual investment provided by the Premier League to support ground improvements for lower-league clubs.
Premier League Stadium Fund grants will enable clubs to invest in projects to develop many aspects of their grounds, including the ongoing improvements required for stadiums to meet the requirements of the league that clubs play in. Additional support will also be provided to aid clubs in their recovery from the impact of COVID-19, helping them to enhance links with their local communities.
Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said: “The strength of our football pyramid is unique in world football and the Premier League has a long-standing commitment to provide funding for clubs at all levels.
“With our increased financial support, we are helping clubs plan for the future and improve their long-term sustainability. This is particularly important as they recover from the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We know how important it is for the Premier League to support all levels of the game. Football clubs are vital to local communities and we hope this funding will help them develop multi-use facilities to support football for the whole community.”
This is the latest financial commitment from the Premier League to lower-league, non-league and women’s clubs. Since 2000, the League has provided more than 5,200 grants worth over £177 million to support the development of stadiums and fan-engagement projects at all levels of the game through the Football Stadia Improvement Fund (FSIF).
This funding has directly benefitted Blyth Spartans, with the club having improved numerous facilities over the years. This includes a new stand, turnstiles, pitch barriers and a viewing area for disabled fans. We have also benefited from the Premier League-financed Matchday Support Fund, which provided £5.5 million of grants to help more than 1,000 clubs during the pandemic.
Spartans Chairman Tony Platten said: “When I inherited the club back in 2000, there was almost no infrastructure here at Croft Park and we were in danger of being chucked out of the league because the ground wasn’t up to standard.
“Funding from the Premier League has allowed us to develop the ground to the standard it’s at now, which we think is one of the better grounds in our league.”