annual review 2011 - The Football Stadia Improvement Fund
Transcription
annual review 2011 - The Football Stadia Improvement Fund
ANNUAL REVIEW 2011 2 FOOTBALL STADIA IMPROVEMENT FUND ANNUAL REVIEW 2011 WHERE THE FUNDING HAS GONE Where the funding has gone The Football Stadia Improvement Fund (FSIF) provides financial support to football clubs towards their ground improvement projects. Funded by the Premier League with an annual budget of £6m, the FSIF awards capital grants to clubs from the Football League down to the lower levels of the National League System to improve safety at their stadia and to enable them to satisfy The FA’s ground grading requirements. £1m of the annual FSIF budget is allocated to the Fans’ Fund which supports projects to the benefit of fans. The FSIF helps to pay for crucial work that can be very costly to clubs but which is absolutely essential to allow our national game to function, whilst maintaining its unique depth and richness. FSIF investment also helps ensure that players and supporters can enjoy our national game in safety and comfort. FSIF grants provide financial assistance towards the construction of new stands, installing floodlights, turnstiles, or even relocating to an entirely new ground.You can get a clearer idea of this through the examples of FSIF projects featured throughout this report. FOOTBALL STADIA IMPROVEMENT FUND ANNUAL REVIEW 2011 3 CONTENTS Contents Chairman’s Introduction 4 The Football Stadia Improvement Fund Board 4 Chief Executive’s Foreword 5 Floodlights 6 Pitch Improvements 8 Stadia Control Rooms 9 Stadia 10 Perimeter and Hard Standing 12 Turnstiles 13 Stands 14 Ground Relocation 16 Financial Summary 18 4 FOOTBALL STADIA IMPROVEMENT FUND ANNUAL REVIEW 2011 Chairman’s INTRODUCTION Chairman’s INTRODUCTION Supporting my football club has given me a huge amount of enjoyment over the years and continues to be an important part of my life. As a fan I especially appreciate how much a football club means to its community. This country has a uniquely rich depth to its football, with many thousands of clubs competing throughout a multi-layered National League System. No matter how large or small the club might be, or whatever level it plays at, they are important to their supporters. Millions of fans loyally support their clubs every week and it is important that they can do so in a safe and comfortable environment. The FSIF’s financial support, provided by the Premier League, helps to ensure that our football stadia are fit-for-purpose for our nation’s football supporters. Those fans are at the very heart of our national game. I hope that you enjoy reading this annual review. Peter McCormick OBE Acting Chairman The Football Stadia Improvement Fund Board Acting Chairman: Peter McCormick OBE Directors: Jonathan Hall Richard Scudamore FOOTBALL STADIA IMPROVEMENT FUND ANNUAL REVIEW 2011 Chief Executive’s Foreword Chief Executive’s foreword This year the FSIF continued to provide crucial stadia improvement funding to football clubs from the Football League through to the lowest levels of the National League System. Football grounds are the bedrock, the bricks-and-mortar of our national game. They are venues on which the spectacle that is this country’s most popular sport is played out – whether it is Manchester United’s Theatre of Dreams, Old Trafford, or AFC Wimbledon’s Kingsmeadow stadium in South West London. FSIF funding offers vital support from the top of the game right through to the lowest levels, support which has never been more needed as the austere economic climate bites hard and local businesses struggle to survive, meaning sponsorship opportunities are not as plentiful as they were a few years ago. FSIF staff will continue to work hard to make sure that the funding that is generously provided by the Premier League each year goes as far as possible and benefits as many clubs and supporters as it possibly can. Paul Thorogood Chief Executive 5 FOOTBALL STADIA IMPROVEMENT FUND 6 ANNUAL REVIEW 2011 Floodlights CASE STUDY: Floodlights Witton Albion FC The new floodlights have made a huge difference both to our training and match performances. Previously the players often found it hard to pick out the ball when it was in the air, but the new system has changed all that. Cheshire-based club Witton Albion FC currently play in the Northern Premier League Division One North. The club dates back to 1887. the finals of the Cheshire FA’s County Cup competitions. However the performance and quality of match-night experience was suffering due to inadequate lighting. In 2004, club captain Brian Pritchard briefly enjoyed worldwide fame following his sending off during the Cheshire County FA Senior Cup final against Woodley Sports. He was sent off after he tripped a streaker who had run on to the pitch; this sparked a debate in the media as to whether it was a fair decision from the referee, with the incident even discussed on BBC One’s Football Focus. The previous floodlights were nearly 20 years old and were prone to intermittent failure. The club was concerned that if these lamps began to fail on a regular basis, they would incur financial penalties imposed by the league and would struggle to achieve the ground grading requirements. Albion’s home for the past 20 years has been Wincham Park. Regarded as one of the better grounds outside of the Football League, it is regularly used as a venue for Following an FSIF grant of £9,400 Albion was able to install five 2,000 watt metal halide floodlights on each of the four existing steel columns and two on both of the existing stands. This has quite literally created a brighter future for the club and its supporters. “Had we not had FSIF funding, it would have been some years before the funds could have been raised to complete the project. Ultimately, had the system failed in that time the club would have faced a real crisis.” Mark Harris Chairman FOOTBALL STADIA IMPROVEMENT FUND ANNUAL REVIEW 2011 7 Floodlights CASE STUDY: Floodlights Fareham Town FC The project was for the replacement of old floodlights that did not meet the light level for the standard of football the club plays (Step 5 Sydenhams Wessex League). The new lights have proved to be a great success, the light level across the pitch is fantastic and, we also use the pitch for training, weather permitting, with our youth section making full use of the facilities. As our youth section grows our aim is to give them more access to the ground for matches and training and the lights are an important step along this process.” Dave Mundy Vice-Chairman Fareham Town FC are in the Wessex League Premier Division and play their fixtures at Cams Alders ground, in Hampshire. Whilst the club’s most famous son is former Premier League striker and current BBC pundit, Steve Claridge, two former England internationals have also managed the club: Ray Crawford (ex-Portsmouth and Ipswich Town player) and Mark Chamberlain (exPortsmouth and Sheffield Wednesday). The old floodlighting system at Cams Alders was installed over 35 years ago and had fallen into an extremely poor state of repair. The electrical control gear had been condemned, resulting in a temporary connection being in place for the last year. The six floodlight columns were also in very poor structural condition, with numerous signs of corrosion and some columns being out of alignment. Due to their age, the luminaires were inefficient, and achieving the required average maintained illumination level was becoming more and more difficult. The club investigated options for refurbishing the existing system but concluded that the system could not be economically upgraded. The club was faced with no option other than to replace the entire system. Thanks to a £24,087 FSIF grant, Fareham Town’s ground now boasts a brand new floodlighting system. This is comprised of six 15m high raise and lower columns, holding a total of 14 Philips OptiVision MVP507 2,000 watt medium beam asymmetric lowglare floodlight luminaries, complete with associated control gear. 8 FOOTBALL STADIA IMPROVEMENT FUND ANNUAL REVIEW 2011 Pitch improvements CASE STUDY: Pitch Improvements Curzon Ashton FC North West club, Curzon Ashton FC, play in the Northern Premier League Division One North. The club moved to its £4 million Tameside Stadium at the beginning of the 2005-06 season. For the first game at the new ground, Curzon played a Manchester United XI, which included Jonny Evans and Fraizer Campbell (now a striker for Sunderland). This badly-drained section of the pitch was therefore seriously compromising the overall quality of the playing surface and reducing the level of use of the pitch area. A FSIF grant of £6,763 has helped to pay for 50% of the cost towards Curzon Ashton FC carrying out the installation of localised sand-slitting, surface amelioration works and re-seeding of the area affected. The main pitch was installed with a sub-surface drainage system. This was effective over most of the pitch area, apart from the centre, which suffered from excessive water retention. The cause was determined to be poor permeability of the pitch surface coupled with the effects of the main stand obscuring any direct sunlight and inhibiting wind flow across the pitch. The difference the new drainage has made is already evident this season, heavy down pours before and during games are not causing any damage to the playing surface in comparison to a game played in the same conditions last season prior to the drainage work being carried out. “This has a massive effect on the playability of the pitch and the number of games we can now accommodate. Our aim is to provide a playing surface of the highest standard allowing all of our senior teams maximum opportunity to enjoy their football.” Nick Wild Groundsman FOOTBALL STADIA IMPROVEMENT FUND ANNUAL REVIEW 2011 9 Stadia control rooms CASE STUDY: Stadia Control Rooms Stevenage FC Following promotion to the Football League from the Blue Square Bet Conference in 2010, Stevenage Football Club needed to make improvements to their stadium in Hertfordshire. With the assistance of a grant of £72,150 from the FSIF, the club was able to install a new CCTV system and control room. The control room has large windows and an unobstructed panorama of the ground, while the concrete, brick and metal profiled sheet roofing are all designed to match the existing structures. In addition to the building work, a re-routing of the cabling and upgrade of the electrical supply board, was necessary. Stevenage went from strength-to-strength as they finished the season with a back-to-back promotion that sent them into League One for the first time in the club’s history. The new control room is a valuable and essential addition to our match day operation and has received glowing praise from the club’s Safety Advisory Group and the Hertfordshire Police, many thanks to the FSIF for their valuable support” Bob Makin Chief Executive 10 FOOTBALL STADIA IMPROVEMENT FUND CASE STUDY: Stadia Bristol Academy Women’s FC Bristol Academy Women’s FC (BAWFC) was born out of Bristol Rovers Women’s FC in 2005 – itself formed through a 1988 merger between the Bristol Rovers girls’ teams and Welsh side Cable-Tel Ladies FC. The team have been nomadic since their formation, having played home matches at The Beeches FC,Yate Town FC, Mangotsfield United FC, Bristol Rovers FC, Fry Club FC, Keynsham FC, Clevedon FC, Bishop Sutton FC and Almondsbury Town FC. BAWFC is one of only eight clubs in the Women’s Super League (WSL) – a new competition launched by The FA that has just completed its inaugural season. All WSL clubs share their ground with a Premier League or a Football League club, except BAWFC, which has its own dedicated stadium, built with the help of £150,000 from the FSIF. Nicknamed the Vixens, BAWFC attract an average attendance of 1,000 for their home games. The stadium has also become a base for promoting the women’s game; the club has three ambassadors who work within local schools and clubs to increase awareness and skills within the female game and to raise the profile of BAWFC. Filton College, where the stadium is based, is a close partner of the club and offers a development centre and Centre of Excellence programmes, from Under-10s right up to the Women’s Super League. ANNUAL REVIEW 2011 Stadia FOOTBALL STADIA IMPROVEMENT FUND ANNUAL REVIEW 2011 11 Stadia Playing at our own ground and establishing our own identity this season has made such an incredible difference to our whole football club. Previously we were moving from ground to ground looking for somewhere to play but now with the help of the FSIF we have a pitch and a stadium we can all be proud to call our home. Without doubt the creation of our new stadium has been the key factor in the club increasing our average gate by over 800%! In addition, the club has achieved the great honour of being named FA Women’s Club of the Year. Most importantly the stadium has inspired all our younger players from the age of eight to play at our home ground which makes our new stadium a special place for our football club.” Mark Sampson Manager The pitch is amazing! All of us just want to play there one day, hopefully in The FAWSL for BAWFC. I have been to watch every home game this season and have my own seat in the ground next to all my friends. Every time we go to a game we have our faces painted to be part of the ‘smurf army’.” Paige Under-13 player and season ticket holder THE FOOTBALL FOUNDATION 12 ANNUAL REVIEW 2011 Perimeter and Hard Standing CASE STUDY: Perimeter and Hard Standing Holyport FC Following their successful promotion from Step 6 to Step 5 at the end of the 2010-11 season, Holyport FC needed to make sure its ground complied with Grade F of the National Ground Grading Criteria by the end of March 2012. One requirement was increasing the perimeter and hard standing areas of their home of Summer Leaze Park from covering two sides of the pitch, to a minimum of three. Last year the club was successful in applying to the FSIF for £7,284 to help pay for an additional 70m of hard standing to the width of the pitch, behind one goal. It was constructed using one metre wide tamped concrete and is suitable for wheelchair users. Holyport Football Club has progressed from a Step 7 to Step 5 club, with a ground that meets The FA’s grading criteria for Step 5, this includes: grandstands, floodlights, hard standing and improvements to our facilities in general. It has taken eight years to get to this stage and every step of the way we have been supported by the FSIF, without whom the task would have been impossible. “The large amounts of money that the FSIF have ploughed back into football at our level are now paying dividends making grounds in general far more spectator friendly and helping to raise the standards of football throughout the country. We are very appreciative for the help the FSIF has given us and hope to continue to develop our club into the future.” Graham Broom Club Secretary FOOTBALL STADIA IMPROVEMENT FUND ANNUAL REVIEW 2011 13 Turnstiles CASE STUDY: Turnstiles AFC Wimbledon The story of fans-owned AFC Wimbledon has captured the imagination of football fans from around the world. Starting out in the Combined Counties League (the equivalent of Division Nine) after Wimbledon FC was relocated to Milton Keynes, the supporters faced the daunting challenge of five promotions to realise their dream of Football League status with the newlyestablished club. After a nail-biting play-off final against Luton Town FC, AFC Wimbledon achieved that feat on 21 May 2011. With League Two status came the necessity to upgrade their stadium so that it met the grading requirements. An FSIF grant of £55,000 has enabled the club to install a new turnstile system that caters for away supporters. A £106,201 grant meanwhile has helped to pay for a new CCTV control room and segregation barriers for the ground’s terraces. I have always been impressed by the quality of support that we have received in applying to the FSIF. The funding itself is essential to clubs like ours. “The grants have enabled us to meet the ground grading requirements required when moving up the divisions, as well as helping us to progress as a club. The various stadia improvements have also made a big difference in helping us to cater for the safety and comfort of both home and away supporters.” Erik Samuelson Chief Executive 14 FOOTBALL STADIA IMPROVEMENT FUND ANNUAL REVIEW 2011 STANDS CASE STUDY: Stands Nuneaton Town FC Nuneaton Town FC play at the Step 2 level of the football pyramid, in the Blue Square Conference North.The Midlands club was having to hire two temporary ‘modular seating systems’ to ensure that their ground, the Triton Showers Arena, met the required grading standards. This was an expensive solution and the high level of regular spectators further justified the project. £56,921 from the FSIF has helped Nuneaton to install a permanent steel-framed stand. The new stand provides seating for 500 fans, provision for persons with disabilities and a press area.The cantilevered-style roof allows for an uninterrupted viewing experience. The support of FSIF has made a massive difference to the supporters of the club and given a real lift as we continue our long road to push forward on and off the pitch, our involvement with the community and the assistance with FSIF to move onto different and exciting projects in the future can only enhance matters for the benefit of the people of Nuneaton” Ian Neale Chairman We were delighted to receive a grant of £150,000 from the FSIF towards the cost of a 300 seated stand and new changing facilities. The final phase of construction was completed on 26th March 2011 and the feedback from both home and away supporters visiting the ground has been excellent. “On the opening day the club also received a surprise visit from FA Chairman David Bernstein, who called in to watch the Matlock vs. FC United of Manchester match; he was very impressed with the quality of all the new facilities.” Keith Brown Chief Executive FOOTBALL STADIA IMPROVEMENT FUND ANNUAL REVIEW 2011 15 STANDS CASE STUDY: Stands Matlock Town FC Matlock Town FC, in Derbyshire, benefited from a FSIF grant of £150,000 towards developing a brand new main stand that went on to win Groundtastic magazine’s ‘Best new stand of the year’ award. Causeway Lane has been home of Matlock Town FC for over a century, with the majority of the facilities dating back more than 50 years.The previous main stand was made out of wood and built in the 1950s. Alongside this was the social club, another wooden construction that dated back to 1970. Both facilities were in a state of disrepair, suffering from serious leaks and cracks which lead to regular flooding during rainy spells. Causeway Lane stadium now boasts a proud new steel-framed stand and a new covered terrace, which replaces the dilapidated terrace built in the 1930s.The new stand is comprised of six tiers and has more than 400 seats, including space for eight wheelchairs. The new stand includes: two teams’ changing rooms as well as two officials’ changing rooms; a kit store and laundry; offices; spectator toilets, and a kitchen, bar and social area on the ground floor.The floor incorporates a directors’ lounge, a function suite and office space for external lettings.The facilities look set to become important revenue generators for the club, helping ensure its future security and sustainability. CASE STUDY: The fund allows equality of facilities at a similar level of football, leaving grounds safer, more welcoming, and, in some cases, more energy-efficient. Certainly from our perspective we would have little hope of having the facilities required to play at our level of football. It is also the case that communities such as ours can enjoy sport alongside the club: we now have a junior team and facilities for the disabled, and host events for men and women and young and old alike, as well as community events and charity matches. Few of these would have been possible without the FSIF grant.” Kevin McCormick Club Treasurer Stands Tow Law Town FC Durham-based Tow Law Town FC plays its matches in the Northern League Division One. Its most famous son is Chris Waddle, who played for the club as a youngster in the late 1970s, whilst working in a sausage factory, before being sold to Newcastle United for a fee of £1,000. Last year, the club received a £5,698 grant from the FSIF towards the refurbishment of its ‘North End’ covered standing terrace.The original covered standing terrace, located behind the goal at the North End of the club’s Iron Works Road ground, was built in the early 1970s. Over the years, the roof’s asbestos sheets had become cracked and broken. The requirement to replace the asbestos sheets with heavier profiled metal sheets means the club also had to strengthen the roof supports to account for the additional weight.The new refurbished stand protects Tow Law’s supporters from the elements and the ground is far safer than before. The club had previously benefited from two FSIF grants of £32,538 and £4,009 towards developing spectator toilets and a clubhouse extension and changing rooms upgrade respectively. 16 FOOTBALL STADIA IMPROVEMENT FUND ANNUAL REVIEW 2011 Ground relocation CASE STUDY: Ground Relocation Enfield Town FC Enfield Town FC was formed on 23 June 2001, following the Enfield Supporters’ Trust members voting overwhelmingly in favour of breaking away from Isthmian League club, Enfield FC, and starting afresh. Enfield FC became ‘homeless’ in September 1999, following the sale of the Southbury Road Stadium, its home since 1936. After a period of ground-sharing with six different clubs, the Enfield FC Chairman settled on a long-term ground-share with Borehamwood FC in Hertfordshire. Support soon dwindled, and, worried that their club might never return to the borough, a group of supporters formed the Enfield Supporters’ Trust, culminating in the historic decision to break away and form a new club. FOOTBALL STADIA IMPROVEMENT FUND ANNUAL REVIEW 2011 17 Ground relocation The club had never owned its own ground and they applied to the FSIF for a grant to facilitate a permanent move to the Queen Elizabeth Stadium. In conjunction with Enfield Borough Council, Enfield Town FC utilised £74,720 worth of FSIF funding to develop the existing dilapidated athletics stadium and provide a stadium for the club. The grant helped fund the re-surfacing of supporters’ hard standing areas, which accommodate a modular covered standing terrace and a modular covered seated terrace that will be relocated from the Brimsdown Rovers stadium. Enfield Town FC’s pitch has also been significantly upgraded. We are delighted by the club’s move into the QE stadium as it has given the youth section the opportunity to play their football in the borough of Enfield for the first time in many years. We look forward to increasing our presence and the profile of Enfield Town in the years to come.” Kevin McArdle Chairman of Enfield Town Youth 18 FOOTBALL STADIA IMPROVEMENT FUND ANNUAL REVIEW 2011 FINANCIAL SUMMARY financial Summary Summary financial statements as at year ended 31 May 2011 Independent auditors’ statement to the members of the Football Stadia Improvement Fund Summary Directors Report We have examined the summary financial statement which comprises the Summary Profit and Loss Account and Summary Balance Sheet. These summarised financial statements may not contain sufficient information to allow a full understanding of the financial affairs of the Football Stadia Improvement Fund. For further information the full annual financial statements, the auditor’s report on those financial statements and Director’s Annual Report should be consulted. Copies of these are available on the Football Foundation’s website www.footballfoundation.org.uk. The principal activity of the company is to provide funding for activities relating to the safety and redevelopment of football stadia. During the year grants were awarded to clubs at all levels of the game towards safety and improvement work such as new stands and terraces, toilets, facilities for the disabled, turnstiles, closed circuit television equipment and at lower levels pitch work and floodlights. The company intends to maintain its current grant making activity over these categories. No director received any remuneration from the Company during the year. The full annual financial statements, from which these summary financial statements are derived and on which the auditor’s gave an unqualified opinion and have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Respective responsibilities of directors and auditors The directors are responsible for preparing the annual review in accordance with applicable United Kingdom law. Our responsibility is to report to you our opinion on the consistency of the summary financial statement within the annual review with the full annual financial statements, and its compliance with the relevant requirements of section 428 of the Companies Act 2006 and the regulations made thereunder. We also read the other information contained in the annual review and consider the implications for our statement if we become aware of any apparent misstatements or material inconsistencies with the summary financial statement. The other information comprises only those items listed on the contents page. This statement, including the opinion, has been prepared for and only for the company’s members as a body in accordance with section 428 of the Companies Act 2006 and for no other purpose. We do not, in giving this opinion, accept or assume responsibility for any other purpose or to any other person to whom this statement is shown or into whose hands it may come save where expressly agreed by our prior consent in writing. We conducted our work in accordance with Bulletin 2008/3 issued by the Auditing Practices Board. Our report on the company’s full annual financial statements describes the basis of our audit opinion on those financial statements and the Directors’ report. Opinion Peter McCormick OBE Acting Chairman 12 January 2012 Notes: (a) The maintenance and integrity of the Football Stadia Improvement Fund’s website is the responsibility of the Directors; the work carried out by the Auditors does not involve consideration of these matters and, accordingly, the Auditors accept no responsibility for any changes that may have occurred to the financial statements since they were initially presented on the website. (b) Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions. In our opinion the summary financial statement is consistent with the full annual financial statements of the Football Stadia Improvement Fund for the year ended 31 May 2011 and complies with the applicable requirements of section 428 of the Companies Act 2006, and the regulations made thereunder. We have not considered the effects of any events between the date on which we signed our report on the full annual financial statements 1 December 2011 and the date of this statement. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors London 12 January 2012 FOOTBALL STADIA IMPROVEMENT FUND ANNUAL REVIEW 2011 19 FINANCIAL SUMMARY Summary Balance Sheet for the year ended 31 May 2011 Total Assets Total Liabilities 2011 2010 £’000 £’000 8,501 5,246 (12,094) (9,089) Net Assets/(Liabilities) (3,593) (3,843) Total Capital and Reserves (3,593) (3,843) A full set of the annual accounts is available via www.footballfoundation.org.uk or from the company secretary at the registered office. 20 FOOTBALL STADIA IMPROVEMENT FUND ANNUAL REVIEW 2011 FINANCIAL SUMMARY Summary Profit and Loss Account for the year ended 31 May 2011 Total Income Total Expenditure Profit/(Loss) on activities before Tax Taxation Profit/(Loss) for the Financial Year 2111 2010 £’000 £’000 700 3 (450) (591) 250 (588) – – 250 (588) TheFootball Football Stadia Improvement Fund Ltd House Whittington House 19-30 Alfred Place London WC1E 7EA The Stadia Improvement Fund Ltd Whittington 19-30 Alfred Place London WC1E 7EA T 4555 F 0845F 345 7057 E [email protected] W www.footballfoundation.org.uk/fsif T 0845 0845345345 4555 0845 345 7057 E [email protected] W www.footballfoundation.org.uk/fsif Company Number 4007132 Registered in England and Wales Company Number 4007132 Registered in England and Wales