Great news for football in Tonbridge today, The Angels are celebrating receiving funding from the Premier League to help them prepare for the restart of football and safe return of supporters to their stadium. 

The Matchday Support Fund grant will help The Angels put in place measures that will make their ground safer for the 2020/21 season given the challenges caused by COVID-19.

The money will be used to help procure extensive directional and informational signs throughout the Stadium, sanitiser and disinfectant, perspex screening at all sales points, modifications in the dressing room area to ensure a secure Covd-19 environment, sanitising dispensers, and PPE equipment.  

The Matchday Support Fund is managed by the Football Stadia Improvement Fund (FSIF), which is financed by the Premier League and supports non-league and Women’s Football Pyramid clubs with the cost of improvements to their grounds. 

The Matchday Support Fund follows the recent Pitch and Club Preparation Funds, which saw £8.7m in grants awarded by the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation to prepare the country’s playing surfaces and facilities for the return of football.

Dave Netherstreet, Chairman of Tonbridge Angels said today: “This Matchday Support Fund grant is huge for us.  It will allow our loyal supporters to return to matches and others in the local community to come to our stadium for the first time and enjoy the unique and special football atmosphere in safety.  One often hears criticism of the Premier League that too much money stays at the top end of football, but this is unquestionably a very generous initiative and recognises the huge contribution that non-League football makes to the community. 

Notes :-  

About the Matchday Support Fund

The application window for the Matchday Support Fund is open from 2 September to 5pm on 16 September to eligible National League System clubs in Steps 1-6, the Welsh Premier League and women’s clubs in Tiers 1-5. In total, 65 leagues and more than 1,100 clubs are able to benefit from this financial support. For more information visit: https://footballfoundation.org.uk/grant/matchday-support-fund

About the Football Stadia Improvement Fund

The FSIF is solely funded by the Premier League and is the country’s largest provider of grants towards projects that help improve the comfort and safety of lower-league football grounds in both the professional and amateur game. These improvements range from new football stands and turnstiles to floodlighting and improved provision for disabled supporters.