The FOOTBALLFOUNDATION together with Thorncombe Sports

The FOOTBALLFOUNDATION together with Thorncombe Sports & Social Club

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Following a successful funding bid, the Football Foundation have awarded Thorncombe Sports and Social Club a £725 grant to replace its football goalposts with new, safer ones.

Thorncombe footballers, who play in the Perry Street and District Football league, were awarded the grant after applying to the Football Foundation’s Goalpost Safety Scheme after club officials and players learnt of the concerns relating to safety in the game in correspondence from the Dorset County F.A. and their league. The club, probably in common with many others, were in blissful ignorance of the fact that their goalpost failed to meet the recommended standard in a number of respects. Bearing in mind that since 1991 nine young footballers have tragically been killed in the UK by unsafe goals and many more have been seriously injured by post and crossbars that fail to meet even basic safety standards, something had to be done. With two Football pitches to bring up to standard cost was an issue, but thanks to the grant support available from the Football Foundation both our pitches are now safe and ready for the new 2008/9 season.

Teaming up with the Football Association (FA), the Football federation has earmarked almost £4m. to replace non-compliant and unsafe goals in England at thousands of schools, clubs and parks across the country.

Funded by the Premier League, The F.A., Sport England and the Government, the Football Foundation is dedicated to revitalising the grass roots of the game, constructing modern football facilities, developing football as a force for social cohesion and a vehicle for education in communities.

Thanks to the prompt delivery of the new goals by Edwards Sports Products Ltd. team members, utilising their “off pitch” skills, were able to install the new posts on Saturday 30^th.August 2008.

Thorncombe Sports & Social Club thanked the football foundation: Club President, Keith Fursman said, *The concerns about safety in our game is justified and this funding towards new and safer goalposts is a fantastic boost. Football is our national sport and it is great that the Football Foundation is investing in improving the grassroots of the game”.

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For more information on this story or the football federation contact Rory Carroll on 0845 345 455 ext.4280 or visit www.footballfoundation.org.uk.

For more information about this story or the Thorncombe Sports & Social Club contact Keith Fursman, Club President, on 01308 861346 or e-mail keith.fursman@talktalk.net.