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Football Association sets out £150m facility strategy
The Football Association (FA) has announced a three-year, £150m facility strategy which aims to improve 3,000 existing natural pitches across England - as well as create 100 new artificial pitches and refurbish 150 existing all-weather sites.
The National Facilities Strategy 2013-15, published yesterday (26 February), outlines how the FA intends to spend £50m each year between now and 2015.
According to the FA, the strategy - developed in consultation with the Premier League, Sport England and the Football Foundation - will ensure the game works together to improve football facilities across the country to deliver a "co-ordinated approach to investment".
Figures from the Football Foundation show that 84 per cent of people cite ?poor facilities? as their most pressing issue preventing them from taking part in organised football - an issue the strategy looks to correct.
Roger Burden, chair of The FA National Game Board, said: "Football has enjoyed a remarkable period of investment since the formation of the Football Foundation in 2000 with more than £780m invested into facilities across the country with thousands of clubs and teams having benefited from this investment.
"However, it is clear that there is still a huge amount of work to be done. Many of our top professional footballers started their careers playing on park pitches for local clubs within local leagues.
"Whether used by a young person taking those first steps in football or as a veteran player or as a coach, facilities have a lasting and continuing influence on our experience of the game.
"For this very reason, investment in facilities will continue to be a key priority for The Football Association."
To read the full strategy document, click here.