Ambitious plans unveiled in second part of FA commission.
The FA Commission, led by FA chief Greg Dyke, have published the second part of their extensive report into the future of English football, report the Express, with the key part of the dossier being a pledge to invest £230m into 3G pitches in 30 major cities across the country.
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It is also notable that the most controversial element of the report’s first section, published in the Spring, has been dropped – with plans to allow Premier League B Teams into the Football League pyramid, as well as strategic loan partnerships, both seemingly having been shelved after an overwhelmingly negative reaction from clubs and supporters.
The general wisdom is that this second stage of the report is the most significant, however, with investment into grassroots football in England having fallen pitifully behind that in other major European nations, particularly world champions Germany, who boast far more 3G pitches than England.
Indeed, poor facilities at youth level and a lack of investment into pitches, leading to numerous games being called off over the Winter months, are some of the biggest issues facing the game at lower levels, something that does seem to be being targeted as a priority by Dyke and his commission – although there is a significant way to go until this promised investment becomes a reality.