THORNBURY Town FC are celebrating a massive financial bonanza that will help them boost their facilities for the future.
The club, in conjunction with Thornbury Town Council, are to receive an £86,520 grant from the Premier League and The FA Facilities Fund, which is delivered by the Football Foundation and provides grants towards developing new or refurbished grassroots football facilities.
Current facilities have needed upgrading for a while, and the funding that has now been secured will enable Thornbury Town to expand and bring more football to the town.
It means the club, who won the Gloucestershire County Cup last season, can create two new real grass pitches adjacent to their existing Mundy Playing Fields home.
The works will include the levelling of the area, installation of a new drainage system, and seeding of the new pitches.
The site will also include an environmental area where there will be natural grassland and vegetation alongside newly planted and existing indigenous trees.
Once complete, the two pitches will cater for both 11-a-side and nine-a-side football and be used regularly by Thornbury Town FC’s many youth teams.
The grant means that Thornbury Town can expand even further. They are currently working towards FA Charter Standard Community Club status and will be looking to create six additional teams, including two female sides, as a result of their soon to be upgraded facilities.
Toni Watola, chairman of Thornbury Town, said: “I look forward to this being the start of a welcome upgrade of the facilities available to the footballers of Thornbury.
“This project is an investment of almost £200,000 and we must thank the Premier League and The FA Facilities Fund, Thornbury Town Council and South Gloucestershire Council’s New Homes Bonus for their contributions to this scheme.
“It is fitting that this investment coincides with the 25th anniversary of the birth of the junior section, formerly known as Thornbury Falcons.
“I would like to thank both Richard Shorey and Paul Turner who were both part of the group of founding fathers who are still giving their valuable time to the club”
The club worked in partnership with the Gloucestershire FA to secure the £86,520 grant. Thornbury also received £50,000 from Thornbury Town Council and £30,000 from South Gloucestershire Council.
Paul Thorogood, chief executive of the Football Foundation, said: “Congratulations should go to Thornbury Town FC for working with the Gloucestershire FA to secure this Premier League and The FA Facilities Fund grant.
“Since 2000, the foundation has awarded 140 grants worth £10.7m across Gloucestershire towards grassroots sports projects, which themselves are worth nearly £24.5m with money provided by funders the Premier League, The FA and the government, via Sport England.”