A FOOTBALL club has been awarded a £1,500 Pitch Preparation Fund grant from the Premier League, The FA and the Government’s Football Foundation.

Newton Aycliffe FC secured the funds in support of the game, which is currently facing unprecedented challenges because of the Covid-19 outbreak.

The cash grant will enable the club, who play in the Ebac Northern League Division One, to prepare their football pitch so that it is match-fit for when it is safe to play football again, following Government advice.

They can use their grant to help pay for the cost of materials, work such as verti-draining, chain harrowing, rolling, over-seeding, fertilising, weed-killing, and routine preparatory work such as grass cutting and the setting out and line-marking of the pitch.

Allan Oliver, chairman of Newton Aycliffe FC, said: “This grant from the Football Foundation is a tremendous help to get us ready for next season. We have been working hard to improve the pitch and I am delighted that we’ve been able to secure this extra funding. We’ve also raised over £1,500 through a GoFundMe campaign thanks to the generosity of our fantastic local community.”

Robert Sullivan, interim chief executive of the Football Foundation, added: “This is a vital grant to help Newton Aycliffe FC get their pitch match-fit."