CLAYDON FC are already seeing the benefit of a pitch improvement grant.

The club, who are based just outside Ipswich, received £18,200 towards the total cost of £25,000 to improve their grass pitches and training areas.

The six-year tapered grant was awarded by the Premier League, The FA and the Football Foundation.

Grants such as these are key to the Football Foundation’s aim to help create 5,000 more quality pitches before the end of 2024, in line with The FA’s Grassroots Strategy.

Tony Adams, head groundsman at the club whose first team play in the Macron SIL Senior Division, said work on improving their ground thanks to the grant started prior to this season.

“Work commenced in June with aerating the pitches and having the pitches seed drilled followed by our fertilizer programme. We have just had all the pitches verti drained,” said Tony (pictured above) at the club's Blue Circle ground.

“The results of the aerating and application of the fertilizer is noticeable by the improved growth and colouring.”

He said the long-term benefit will be to invest the next payment into the training area by improving the drainage and top dressing resulting in more use for a longer period by all our teams

“We will be able to maintain a total coverage of all the pitches instead of selecting the Senior pitch and one other each year,” he added. 

It is fantastic to see the hard work paying by from everyone associated with Claydon FC. They have some exciting projects in the pipeline.”

Suffolk FA Football Development Manager Matt Stebbings said: “I am encouraging clubs to get in touch if other clubs want investigate funding opportunities, to improve not only their grass pitch provision, but to improve their facilities.

“We can support with anything from goalposts, storage containers and portable floodlights to grass pitch improvements, maintenance equipment, pavilion refurbishments and larger scale 3G and pavilion projects.

“Undertaking a Pitch Power pitch assessment is the key to unlocking funding opportunities for all things grass.”

Suffolk FA Football Development Manager Matt Stebbings can be contacted on 01449 616606 or 07432 735961 or via email matt.stebbings@:suffolkfa.com