Dear Football Fans,
NON-LEAGUE clubs are the heartbeat of many local communities and the breeding grounds for up and coming footballing talent. It's for this reason that FA Cup sponsor Budweiser and The FA are injecting £1million over two years into the ‘grass-roots' of our beloved game.
The 2012/13 and 2013/14 seasons will see the Budweiser Club Futures programme help to fuel this grass-roots support, giving 16 grants of £50,000 to Non-League clubs across Steps 5-7 of the English Football Pyramid.
Having seen the programme launch with Budweiser, Sir Trevor Brooking and The FA back in August, I was delighted to be invited to sit on the panel in November to help choose the first eight winners of £50k grants from season one.
As the ambassador for Budweiser Club Futures I think I am well placed to understand the importance of grass-roots football, having plied my trade as a glazier, while playing for Non-League Whyteleafe and Epsom & Ewell.
The good news for these eight winners doesn't stop there. Each season one club will be in with a chance of winning a ‘Super Grant' which will boost their funding by £100,000 to a massive £150,000! Tomorrow marks the launch of a Facebook vote as the Club Futures programme hands the Super Grant decision over to the fans. We've teamed up with The Non-League Paper to give you an introduction to each of the eight winners.
To find out more about each club and cast your vote head to www.facebook.com/budweiseruk or www.facebook.com/thefacup
Congratulations to the eight winners who have all secured £50k so far:
AFC Blackpool – North West
Blyth Town FC – North East & Yorkshire
Evergreen FC – East
Raynes Park Vale – London
Bardon Hill FC – East Midlands
Pegasus Juniors FC – West Midlands
South Park FC – South East
Camelford FC – South West
Good luck to these clubs in the Super Grant vote!
Alan Pardew
