Premier League Stadium Fund celebrates 25 years of non-league investment

Rachel Yankey and Tim Sherwood see how Premier League funding is helping men's and women's clubs throughout the football pyramid This week, the Premier League is celebrating 25 years of investment into non-league clubs' facilities through the Premier League Stadium Fund. Established in the 2000/01 season, the Premier League Stadium Fund has distributed £220 million to more than 1,000 clubs in the men's and women's game. This has enabled significant improvements to the player and fan experience across the country, as well as enhancing accessibility and financial and environmental sustainability. The Premier League's longstanding support for clubs throughout the men's and women's game is highlighted by the 'More Than a Game' initiative, which showcases the positive impact of the League's investment into communities and wider football. Premier League Stadium Fund: 25 years"The Premier League is more than a game," said Chair of the Premier League Stadium Fund Board, Clare Sumner. "We are proud to support football at all levels, and the Premier League Stadium Fund is a crucial part of that. "Clubs across the country have redeveloped facilities through Premier League funding, from pitches and stands to changing rooms and clubhouses, helping them to continue providing a great experience and become more financially stable. “Our football pyramid is uniquely strong in this country, from grassroots through to the professional game, and clubs sit at the heart of their communities. It is thanks to the ongoing success of the Premier League that we have been able to share £220 million of investment, positively impacting more than 1,000 clubs and helping them further benefit their local areas." The Premier League Stadium Fund's 25-year milestone was marked with a special event at Uxbridge FC, who have received £236,000 over the period, including £150,000 in 2023 to support a stadium redevelopment. This led to a new 3G pitch being installed and funding for LED floodlights and a new stand, enabling the club's Honeycroft ground to host both Watford FC Women and teams from the Wycombe Wanderers Academy.Captain of 1994/95 Premier League Champions Blackburn Rovers and former Watford player Tim Sherwood visited to see the difference that funding has made, joined by former England Lioness and one of women’s football’s most influential players, Rachel Yankey. Both joined in with coaching as Wycombe, Watford and Uxbridge made full use of the site on the evening. "The pyramid is the lifeblood of the Premier League and the English game," said Sherwood. "We look at so many kids now playing international football who have come through the pyramid system. I played lower down and got the opportunity to go to big clubs and win the Premier League and play for my country. It wouldn't be possible without this level of football. "The Premier League investment has been outstanding. For 25 years now they've invested into the non-league level and that's exactly what we're here for today. The Premier League have invested so over a thousand clubs can benefit across the country, north and south. Long may it continue." Watford FC Women are one of more than 50 FA Women's National League clubs to play at sites funded by the Premier League Stadium Fund. This forms part of the League's support for women's football, with an additional £12.7 million specifically committed to the women and girls' game between 2025 and 2028 - including £2.7 million for the Women's National League strategy.After joining a session for Watford Under-14s alongside first-team manager Renée Hector and first-team player Anna Filbey, Yankey said: "I look at the top of women's football and the teams are playing at the highest level. You can see the investment, you can see the value people are putting into them. "That needs to continue and filter down all the way through the leagues. And that's why it's so important that women's football is supported by the Premier League. "It's about making sure that young boys and young girls watch their role models, male or female, playing in the Premier League or Women's Super League, and actually know that the Premier League supports them too. There's a community side to it and the Premier League is giving back and supporting football." Mark Bantock, Chair of Uxbridge FC, praised the impact of investment on the club, adding: "We accessed money for our floodlights that we use every day, every week. We accessed money to build a new stand that people can sit in that will be there for a long, long time and people will get the benefit of. We accessed it for the perimeter fencing that works."The main thing with the redevelopment for clubs at our level giving you an autonomy to run the club how you want to. That's the massive difference. Whereas before, what we had here wouldn't have encouraged Wycombe to be here training with their Academy, or Watford Women to play here. "The investment has changed the football club, undoubtedly." This season also marks 25 years of Premier League investment through the Football Foundation. The Premier League, the Government and Football Association have invested more than £1.3 billion through the Football Foundation in this time into community sites that have been used by approximately 125,000 grassroots teams. To find out more, please visit More Than a Game and use #PLMoreThanAGame on social media.