• The FA announces new blueprint for grassroots football as millions return to play post-lockdown from Monday
• A commitment to equal access for girls in schools and clubs and 5,000 new pitches amongst a number of ambitious FA targets
• FA to invest over £180m into grassroots football to serve and lead the game over the next four seasons and beyond
• New FA research report shows the social and economic value of playing grassroots football in England worth more than £10bn each year

The Football Association [The FA] has launched an ambitious new strategy for grassroots football in England, providing clear direction for the next four seasons and addressing the short, medium and long-term challenges to serve and lead the game for the many millions that play nationwide.

The strategy, titled ‘Survive. Revive. Thrive.’, outlines seven transformational objectives through to 2024:

• Male participation – Modernised opportunities to retain and re-engage millions of male participants in the game
• Female participation – A sustainable model based on a world-class, modernised offer
• Club network – A vibrant national club network that delivers inclusive, safe local grassroots football and meets community needs
• Facilities – Enhanced access to good quality pitches across grassroots football
• Grassroots workforce – A transformation in community football by inspiring, supporting and retaining volunteers in the game
• Digital products and services – An efficient grassroots digital ecosystem to serve the administrative and development needs of players, parents and the workforce
• Positive environment – A game that’s representative of our diverse footballing communities, played in a safe an inclusive environment

The strategy, launched as grassroots football is able to return safely after lockdown from Monday, also identifies the immediate challenge, in light of Covid-19, to get grassroots football back on its feet. This includes continuing to focus on providing financial and business support to those that need it most whilst ensuring football can continue to be played in a safe and secure environment through The FA’s Covid-19 guidance.

The new strategy also sets out a number of goals to revive the game by addressing the areas that require particular attention. This includes increasing opportunities to ensure girls have the same access as boys to football in schools and clubs, and improving quality of pitches, with the aim of seeing 5,000 good-quality pitches added to the current number by 2024.

The four-season long strategy also takes a look ahead to ensure the game thrives. Not only encouraging new participation at every age group and from historically under-represented groups, but also harnessing the power of digital to better connect participants to the game they love. It also means ensuring the game is played in a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment.

To coincide with the launch of the grassroots strategy and return of grassroots football, The FA has also published a new report that explores the social and economic value of grassroots football in England, finding its value to equate to £10.16bn each year.

This year’s report, which follows on from research published in 2019, quantifies the social and economic value across the entire lifetime of a player for the very first time, from childhood participation through to football in later life.

The report, titled “The Social and Economic Value of Adult Grassroots Football in England”, found that grassroots football in England has a considerable impact on a person’s mental and social wellbeing, highlighting mental health benefits for children and physical health benefits for older adults.

For more information go to www.TheFA.com