Help Wythenshawe Amateurs FC Secure a Brighter Future with £100,000 Cash Injection
Football fans asked to vote for local club by Budweiser and The FA
Courtesy of the Budweiser Club Futures programme, non-league Wythenshawe Amateurs FC is set to go head-to-head with seven other clubs for a chance of securing £100,000 worth of funding in a fans' vote.
The fortunes of the Manchester Football League Premier Division side have already changed significantly, following the announcement last month that the club had successfully secured £50,000 through the programme. Wythenshawe has used this grant to put the required infrastructure in place to build a brand new facility in Hollyhedge Park.
Should Wythenshawe win the £100,000 grant it will continue to build first class facilities and a state of the art clubhouse in the clubs new home. The club currently doesn't have a clubhouse or changing rooms, so the new facility will be designed to host the first team sides and Wythenshawe's famed youth setup.
The award of the £100,000 Super Grant will mean that Budweiser has injected £1million directly into non-league football in the UK through the Club Futures programme over two seasons, as part of its FA Cup sponsorship.
Football fans can now decide which club they want to see receive the £100,000 Super Grant. From 27 January until 28 February 2014, fans can view short videos from each club online at https://apps.facebook.com/budweiserclubfutures and cast their vote to choose the winner.
The ambition of Budweiser Club Futures has been to help clubs to help themselves, with the grant recipients using the funding to improve their facilities and make their club more financially sustainable. These funds help the clubs secure their place at the heart of communities, in turn helping to ensure the future of the beautiful game at the grassroots level across the UK.
Budweiser Club Futures is also supported by the Football Foundation, who help choose the grant recipients each season, and The FA Facilities and Investment team, who provide advice and guidance to the non-league clubs applying.
Carl Barratt, Vice-Chairman of Wythenshawe Amateurs, said: "We have no doubt this award will change our club forever. Emotions are running high and I cannot quantify the impact £100,000 will have on everyone involved at our great club. Wythenshawe Amateurs are in desperate need of quality facilities and thanks to the Budweiser grant we've already received, we are on track to provide them."
Budweiser Club Futures ambassador, Alan Pardew, said: "Eight clubs have already received a significant amount of money at the £50,000 stage, but the £100,000 Super Grant injection will be like a huge lottery win for one club. I'd encourage all football fans to cast their vote for the Super Grant winner to help change the future of clubs like Wythenshawe.
"Being involved with this programme for the last two seasons has evoked some great memories. Having started my career at non-league, I've said all along I appreciate just how hard it is to sustain a local club, which is why the Budweiser Club Futures programme is so important. It's been fantastic to see the difference the funding has made to all the recipients."
Budweiser Senior Brand Manager Christian Flouch, said: "Non-league clubs are really important to the future of the beautiful game and to local communities. We've started seeing some great results following improvements made by the clubs from season one, so look forward to similar results this season and wish all clubs luck in the Facebook vote."
All clubs across Steps 5-7 have received 'Running a Sustainable Club', a guidance booklet to help them become more sustainable. Clubs wishing to receive a free copy can email FacilitiesInfo@thefa.com.
To find out more about why you should vote for Wythenshawe Amateurs FC visit www.facebook.com/budweiseruk or www.facebook.com/thefacup from 27 January 2014.
