This year, the English Premier League (EPL) will provide National League and women’s clubs with funds worth £16m or €19.1m and 20.9m in US dollars for stadium upgrades.
The funds will be accessible from now until the conclusion of the next year. The overall commitment of £16 million is more than twice the amount now invested annually by the Premier League to help lower-league clubs refurbish their stadiums. Moving over from all the EPL fixtures, this is all great news!
Good news
Premier League stadium fund awards will allow clubs to spend on a wide range of initiatives, including the continual modifications required to fulfill the league requirements of the stadiums that they play in.
The Premiere League has also promised to help clubs recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to strengthen their ties to their local areas.
Long Eaton United, who play in the United Counties Football League at the fifth tier of the English football pyramid, have received many rounds of Premier League financing to renovate their stadium over the past two decades.
Nick Dargan, the director of Long Eaton United, added that the club has received various Premier League subsidies throughout the years, which has also assisted with a multitude of stadium improvements as well. Improvements are made to the pitch and its surrounding areas as well as the player tunnel and parking lot.
Funding and development over the years
As a result of this funding, clubs will be able to expand their facilities for spectators to enjoy as well as improve revenue streams. Club development fund applications will be available on April 6, and stadium fund applications will be available on March 30.
Football Stadia Improvement Fund funding has been awarded to over 5,200 stadium and fan interaction projects at all levels of the game since its establishment in 2000.
Part of the Premier League’s £1.6 billion investment in the community and the game between 2022 and 25 is the new Premier League Stadium Fund. That said, EPL results will never be the same as things just get better from here.
In order to apply for funds, clubs that compete in the National League system and Tiers 1 to 4 of the women’s football pyramid will have to meet certain criteria. The funds will be administered by the Football Foundation.
When the Premier League Stadium Fund applications open on March 30, clubs can proceed by accessing their website to learn more.
A new strategy
Today, the FA Women’s National League revealed a new strategy to improve women’s football in England’s third and fourth-tiers.
The Premiere League has pledged £1 million per season over the next 3 years to support the Empowering For Success campaign. Tiers 3 and 4 of the women’s football pyramid will benefit from the professional game’s improvements in quality.
To achieve their ultimate goal of helping FA WNL clubs thrive on and off the field, Empowering For Success focuses on eight key areas, each with a distinct strategic objective.
The eight priority areas include the following:
- Players
- Coaches and Leaders
- Referees
- Club Development
- League Development
- Facilities
- Commercial
- Marketing and Communications
The end goal
In order to meet each of the eight goals outlined in the strategy, The FA WNL has made a number of commitments across a wide range of fields. Increase the number of female and minority coaches in the WNL, including those from traditionally underrepresented populations.
A wide range of voices, from officials and managers to players and spectators, were able to contribute to the success of the FA WNL by working together.
By 2025, the plan aims to raise the profile of The FA WNL among women’s football fans, reduce the frequency of postponements due to bad weather, boost the number of league partner companies, and boost average attendance at league games.