Herefordshire football clubs to benefit from Pitch Preparation Fund

Over 22 clubs in Herefordshire, including Ross Juniors Football Club, will benefit from the Pitch Preparation Fund.

Football pitches across the country are set to be enhanced thanks to a £7 million scheme from the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation with almost 3,000 clubs across the country benefiting.

22 grants worth a total of £55,500 will go to clubs in Herefordshire.

The Pitch Preparation Fund was set up in support of the game, which is currently facing unprecedented challenges because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is providing grants to clubs that have lost out on normal revenue streams during this difficult period and helping them to get their pitches ready for when it is safe to play football again, following Government advice.

The grants awarded will help with essential maintenance works toward grass pitches, including vertical decompaction, slitting, over seeding, fertilising and weed-killing, as well as routine preparatory works such as grass cutting and the setting out and line-marking of pitches. For artificial surfaces, eligible works include deep cleaning, overmarking and FA pitch testing.

A spokesperson for Ross Juniors said: “Delighted to announce thanks to Herefordshire FA support we have been successful in receiving a substantial grant to help us improve our pitches further for the coming season.

“Pitches 1-3 (9v9 and 7v7’s) on the far side by the cricket pavilion have been the worse affected. The grant will ensure we can, with the assistance of our brilliant groundsman Rob, get the pitches over time back to their best.”

The Football Foundation is a charity funded by the Premier League, The FA and the Government, through Sport England.