£70.5k grant to grow Staffordshire grassroots football

The grant from the Football Foundation will see the creation of 47 new football teams, as well as 40 coaches trained to deliver age appropriate coaching.

They will help to support the development of 10 new adult male teams, four adult women's teams and 18 youth men's teams.

The Premier League and The FA fund the Grow the Game scheme with £1.9m, which is delivered by the Football Foundation, the nation's largest sports charity.

The scheme is designed to increase numbers playing football by helping clubs to meet the essential costs of starting new teams.

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 can see interest drop off when the programme ends.

This year sees a particular emphasis placed on increasing the number of teams and players from the under-15 age bracket, as well as addressing the decline in participation that has traditionally occurred as young people leave school and college.

The other key focus is on growing the numbers of girls, women and disability teams.

Kevin Staples, football development manager at the Staffordshire FA, said: "It is fantastic news that Staffordshire clubs have once again been supported through the award of Grow the Game funding.

"The continued support from the Football Foundation for Staffordshire clubs will have a huge impact on the growth of football across the county, particularly in the priority areas of adult 11-a-side, women's and disability football and will help ensure people from all communities of the county will have the opportunity to play the game."

Ben Shephard, ITV's Good Morning Britain and Sky Sports' Goals on Sunday presenter, has backed the scheme.

He said: "This Grow the Game funding, provided by the Premier League and The FA, is excellent news for Staffordshire football clubs.

"They deserve real credit for working with the Football Foundation and the Staffordshire FA to help secure the grant.

"Grow the Game funding makes a tangible difference, it helps to increase participation in the sport. It allows clubs at the lowest levels of the game to pay for things associated with starting new teams, like making sure their volunteer coaches can get qualified with FA coaching badges."

During the 2013/14 season, the Football Foundation created more than 1,700 teams and thousands of football players through the Grow the Game scheme.