Green light for Blues grant

Fresh development work at Leek Town is starting after the Blues were awarded a five figure grant by the The Football Stadia Improvement Fund.

Blues fans can look forward to the installation of brand new perimeter fencing to replace the existing dilapidated post and rail fences at Harrison Park to boost spectator safety after the FSIF handed over a £21,925 grant this week.

Blues Chairman Andrew Wain is delighted with the FSIF cash boost. "This is great news for the club and the town," he said. "We would especially like to thank John Paul Considine of the FSIF for his help and guidance in bringing our grant application to fruition.

"We have worked hard on this project along with the FSIF and we are grateful to them for awarding us a sports match grant, without which this work would definitely not have gone ahead."

Funded with £6m each year from the Premier League, the FSIF is the country’s largest provider of grants towards projects for improving comfort and safety of lower league football grounds in both the professional and amateur game. Improvements range from new football stands and turnstiles to floodlighting and improved provision for disabled supporters.

Paul Thorogood, Chief Executive of the FSIF, said: "I am delighted that Leek Town Football Club have been awarded this grant. The money will help the club to improve ground safety for its supporters.

"FSIF staff work hard to make sure that the funding that is generously provided by the Premier League each year goes as far as possible and benefits as many clubs and supporters as it possibly can."

Leek say it is unlikely that the work involved in fabricating the steelwork and erecting the fencing will be completed before the season starts and that contingencies are now in place to close parts of Harrison Park as the project progresses.