FOOTBALL in Pool has received a boost as Pool AFC have been awarded a grant by the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation.

The £500 grant from the Foundation’s Club Preparation Fund will help Pool AFC to prepare their buildings to safely reopen in line with government guidance around hygiene and social distancing, and The FA’s plans for a ‘phased return’ that were announced on July 18.

The Club Preparation Fund follows the £7m of investment awarded to 2,900 organisations through the Pitch Preparation Fund, also delivered by the Premier League, The FA and government’s Football Foundation.

This is enabling over 9,000 football pitches to be made match-fit, and is benefitting over 33,000 football teams.

Speaking about their funding success, Peter Wilkinson, Secretary at Pool AFC, said: “This funding is a massive boost as we strive to ensure that we are ready to go forward into the new season safely.

“It follows the £4,000 received for our pitches' maintenance which enabled us to do so much more, the benefits of which are all ready clear to see, as we start our programme of friendly matches”

The Football Foundation is a charity funded by the Premier League, The FA and the government, through Sport England.

Meanwhile, Pool are now well into their seniors friendly match programme, with the junior section due to start theirs.

They started with the first team taking on the reserves, two large squads, bolstered by some of their under-17 players, putting on an exciting game, resulting in a 5-5 draw.

Despite each team losing their first inter club matches, both showed plenty to be positive about.

Following the matches, as Covid-19 restrictions had prevented any presentation events, trophies were handed to the following for their efforts in the curtailed 2019-20 season:

First team top scorer: Harry Higgins

Second team top scorer: Will Johnson/Jhivar Saidgool

First team match point: Harvey Atkinson/Adam Caldow

Second team match point: Ian Smith/Dean Herron

First team players' player (and winner of Stuart Gill memorial trophy ): Jack Farrimond

Second team players' player: Jhivar Saidgool

Young player: Harry Norris