All associated with Harworth Colliery FC are set to benefit from fresh investment into our local football facilities. Harworth and Bircotes Sports and Social Club/Harworth Colliery FC have been awarded a grant from the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation, to upgrade all of the Clubs pitches.

The Football Foundation is the UK’s largest sports charity and exists to improve the experience of playing football for everyone, by championing fair access to quality facilities.

Grassroots football matches and game based training cannot take place at the moment due to the COVID-19 outbreak and will only restart when it is safe to do so following government advice but this funding is great news for local football in the meantime.

Harworth and Bircotes Sports and Social Club/Harworth Colliery FC, which is home to three senior teams, Two Youth teams and 10 Junior sides and gives 200+ players the chance to play football each week and will now be able to enjoy better quality pitches, which will represent a significant improvement on some of the existing fields which have been to prone to over use and waterlogging in the past.

Harworth Colliery FC worked with the Football Foundation and the County FA to secure a £37676 amount grant towards the project and will be a project delivered over the next 6 years.

Jonathan Wilson Chairman, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have been accepted for the grant and delighted that it will have an impact on the whole the club, not just one or two teams but all of our sides and with the Juniors section getting bigger each year it was vital that those pitches also saw a level of investment that will see gradual improvement . We must use this as a catalyst for change and keep the momentum going, next up will see us apply to get all of our pitches fenced off, this has been a huge problem for our Junior teams and those using the Hockey/side Pitch with some dog walkers and what they leave behind, the Recreational Ground is a large area and the Sports and Social club wants everyone to enjoy the open spaces, what this will allow if successful is that the pitches once treat and maintenance carried out can be left solely for the Teams that use them and people can walk around the area clearly fenced off, its an exciting time for the club and everyone associated with it.

Robert Sullivan, Interim Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “We know the huge benefits playing regular football can have on individuals’ physical and mental well-being. That’s why we’re committed to transforming the face of grassroots football facilities in this country. It’s therefore very welcome news to hear that this funding will support Harworth Colliery Football club/ Harworth and Bircotes Sports and Social Club in developing Pitch renovation work being donefor their local community.

Simon Frost, General Manager of SHCFA said "We have worked with the Football Foundation over many years to deliver improvement to football facilities across the Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA region. Significant capital investment has gone to many major projects, however we do not lose sight of the fact that clubs often require relatively modest or more immediate help. We are therefore delighted that the Football Foundation launched the Pitch Preparation Fund, which has delivered over £150,000 funding to help 69 Sheffield & Hallamshire Country FA clubs at this difficult time"

“Working with our partners – the Premier League, The FA, government and Sport England – we will be investing in over £1bn worth of local facilities across the country over the next decade. We believe we can transform lives and strengthen communities by unlocking the power of pitches and this is another project that brings us closer to that ultimate goal."