A LACK of facilities is restricting the growth of football across the Tyne Valley.

While the Football Association (FA) has made £1.5m available to help the creation of new teams nationwide, many clubs in rural Tynedale will be unable to cope with extra numbers due to a shortage of suitable venues.

The FA has invested the money to boost participation numbers in what it has labelled ‘under represented’ groups within grassroots football – those being women and girls, males at U14 level and above and the disabled.

As part of its terms, £1,500 is available for each new team that a club creates. The money can be used for FA coaching courses, FA league affiliation costs, referees’ fees, first aid kits and strips and equipment.

While the grants will be gratefully accepted within the Tyne Valley, there is the argument that more can be done to improve a distinct lack of playing facilities throughout the district.

Wylam Rockettes is the largest girls’ football club within the district, and has teams from U9 to U16 level. Such is the interest in junior female football, an U18 team is likely to be formed next season.

However, the popularity of the sport has its downfalls too, as the club only has one pitch at Wylam’s Jubilee Field.

Arranging multiple home games can be a logistical nightmare, not to mention the damage caused to the grass pitch.

Sean Hamilton, one of the coaches of the Rockettes’ U16 team, said: “Don’t get me wrong, any sort of funding to help establish a team is welcome. It is so much easier to get a team going when there’s help like this around.

“The biggest issue we have is that Grow the Game initiative doesn’t directly address pitches, and that is a problem for us as we currently have four teams sharing one nine-a-side pitch.

“We know what costs are involved in establishing a team. For example, if it costs £1,200 a year and we have 10 girls, then it’s £10 a month each girl, which is reasonable enough.

“If we are going to offer football to girls right up to U18, the only way we can make the numbers work is by looking to use another reasonably priced venue or get our own, and that is not viable as there is not the funding in facilities to do so.”

The problem is shared by many clubs in the Tyne Valley, with Mark Gradwell, a coach of two Hexham teams at U9 and U10 level, also declaring more investment needs to be put into facilities.

He believes futsal, a faster variant of indoor football focusing on ball control and skills, is the new way to develop young footballers.

However, there is nowhere in Tynedale to cater for the game, with the Hexham lads having to head to Benfield, in Newcastle, to participate.

He said: “I believe futsal is the way forward, but we can’t play it in Tynedale, and we have to go to Blue Flames to play. If I won the lottery, I would build a couple of 3G pitches and an indoor hall with futsal courts because rural areas like Tynedale are missing out.

“The FA spent £65m nationally on grassroots football last year, and it’s great it is doing that, but my opinion is that there is no point growing the game and getting more players in if you do not have the facilities to cater for the extra numbers.”

The Grow the Game scheme has been put to good use on a national level since it was started in 2010, with the FA reporting 161,285 new football players as a result.

Closer to home, Prudhoe Youth Club has benefited from the grants and football is flourishing at the club.

Secretary Duncan Graham said: “Our player subscriptions alone rarely cover costs and we are therefore reliant on fund-raising and grants from various sources to help towards running costs.

“We have benefited in the past from the Grow the Game scheme which has, in part, helped us grow from 20 to 30 teams in the space of eight years.

“Specifically, we have recently used the support of the scheme to start up and help sustain our successful Saturday senior team project, initiated less than two years ago.”

Applications for Grow the Game grants close on March 29, and can be made at www.footballfoundation.org.uk/apply/grow-the-game/.