Southport Switch On New Floodlights

....on Saturday at the Merseyrail Community Stadium thanks to a £43,710 grant from the Premier League through the Football Stadia Improvement Fund (FSIF), the largest funders of non-league football in the country.

The funding has enabled Southport Football Club to continue to meet the floodlighting criteria in the National League along with the Football league and considerably enhances the Merseyrail Community Stadium.

Funded with £5.2m each year from the Premier League, the FSIF 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.

Chairman Charles Clapham MBE said: “The support of the Premier League through the Football Stadia Improvement Fund (FSIF) along with Trust in Yellow has assisted in bringing this project into being our appreciation goes to both funders.”

Peter McCormick OBE, chairman of the Football Stadia Improvement Fund, said: “It is a fundamental principle that clubs should be able to progress competitively and not be hindered because of unsatisfactory facilities, so naturally I am pleased to see that this £43,710 grant will has gone towards installing new flood lights at Southport FC.

The work of the FSIF is only possible because of the generous support of the Premier League and this investment is a further example of funding which will help to improve supporters’ experience of watching the game.”

(In the photo -centre Southport FC chairman Charlie Clapham MBE and guest of honour John Pugh MP. With Trust in Yellow fund raising members including the families of the late Sally Devine and Phil Carder plus Colin Aindow who fund raised running from Southport to Grimsby Town. Floodlight sponsors County Insurance and former Football League player and manager Steve Joel.)