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Scottish Football Pitches Upgraded With Government Funding

Close-up of a white stripe on an artificial grass pitch with a goal in the far distance
Author: Samuel Beckingham
Updated: Feb 07, 2024
3 minutes read

In partnership with the Scottish Football Association, the UK Government has greenlit a £6 million scheme to help 40 projects across Scotland. Various areas have received funding for new sports pitches and help renovating existing stadiums. The overarching ambition is to get 3.5 million additional adults and children active by 2030.

Why Was This Announced?

In an effort to help grassroots football and drive future sporting talent, the funding aims to help young players get into the sport. Refurbishments and new pitches will enable everyone to get physical no matter where they live or what their background is.

The overall programme has been operating since 2021 and is part of £325 million to provide new facilities or improvements to almost 2,400 sites across the whole of the UK. More young people will be getting into sport, including women and girls, as a push for 120,000 more active people is now in effect.

Where’s the Funding Gone?

There were 40 projects identified across Scotland that received a share of the funding, including 20 artificial grass pitches, various changing facilities, floodlights and kit.

East End Park received £175,000, which it’s using to upgrade its artificial grass. This means it will remain in good conditions for decades to come.

The Meadows Sports Centre in Ellon has been awarded £150,000 for a brand new pitch.

Syminton Tinto AFC got £400,000 towards a brand new artificial grass pitch.

Aberdeen Sports Village received a massive £463,000 for a brand new 3G pitch at Keith Park.

What These Pitches Mean

Scottish ministers and club leaders alike have praised the funding as transformational, indicating that it will do wonders for both mental and physical wellbeing. Grassroots sport is incredibly important for maintaining and nurturing the sporting talent of tomorrow.

A lot of the areas identified for investment are underprivileged, which would especially help more women and girls get into the sport. By providing the means and the facilities for everyone to get active, it would no longer be a case of living in the right area to get anywhere.

Why Artificial Grass Is Good for Football Pitches

A lot of the heavy use stadiums are in demand every single day, often multiple times. Real grass would struggle to keep up with extremely heavy footfall and the pitches would become muddy and unusable for a large portion of time, especially in wet weather.

By using artificial grass, you can cater to multiple groups year-round, without having to worry about other issues faced by a natural pitch. Heavy rainfall can create a waterlogged environment that’s not pleasant for anyone to play on. The helpful drainage installed with artificial grass eliminates this issue altogether.

Upgrade Your Lawn

If your household has been touched with a fever of football, you can keep your back garden in perfect health by giving it a hardy makeover. You can spend as much as you like on artificial grass as many expensive versions can even pass for the real thing.

There’s a huge range of types of artificial grass. In actuality, there are numerous benefits of artificial grass that you may not be aware of. As well as remaining intact under heavy footfall and play, there will be no water pooling and you’ll even have a bit of sponginess as well.

Find out how much you’d pay for artificial grass by clicking on the button below.