Carshalton Athletic FC were pleased to officially unveil their new clubhouse in Surrey recently (Saturday 7 April).

This has been made possible by investment from the Premier League, through the Football Stadia Improvement Fund (FSIF). MP for Carshalton and Wallington, the Rt Hon. Tom Brake MP, also lent his support to the project in attendance for the official opening.

The investment has allowed Carshalton Athletic FC, who play in the Isthmian League Division One South, to build a brand new clubhouse facility at their home ground. This replaces a temporary clubhouse building which had fallen into disrepair, installed after Carshalton Athletic FC’s original facility was damaged by a fire in 2000.

The new building will support the club in catering for spectators on match-days – a requirement of the FA National Ground Grading Criteria for their Step 4 position. It will also benefit Carshalton Athletic FC’s 600 players, ranging from the Under-7 to senior levels, across its 43 different teams.

The project was made possible by a £145,330 grant from the Premier League, which is delivered through the Football Stadia Improvement Fund – the sister organisation of the Football Foundation.

The FSIF is funded with £6.5m each year from the Premier League. It 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.

Paul Dipre, Carshalton Athletic FC Chairman, said: “The new clubhouse is fabulous and the Premier League’s investment, delivered by the Football Stadia Improvement Fund, has been essential to the project.”

Peter McCormick OBE, Chairman of the Football Stadia Improvement Fund, said: “Premier League investment is being used to improve the infrastructure for lower-league clubs all over England, through the work of the FSIF. I’m glad to hear that Carshalton Athletic FC are the latest to benefit from this, with the opening of their new clubhouse.

“All players, spectators and club members deserve access to safe, comfortable environments that only serve to encourage their love of the game – not damage it. Projects like this one in Surrey are helping to ensure that as many people as possible can benefit from such environments.”

For more on this from the Football Foundation please contact, (Sophie Huby at sophie.huby@footballfoundation.org.uk | 0345 345 4555 Ext: 4292).