Local Football Facility Plan North Lincolnshire

North Lincolnshire is in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

The current population of the authority (ONS 2017 Mid-Year Estimate) is 170,786. This is expected to rise to 176,686 by 2039.

North Lincolnshire is ranked 13 out of 21 LAs in the region, and 134 out of 326 LAs nationally on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (ONS).

North Lincolnshire's ethnic composition is primarily white (96%). This is higher than the national average (85.4%).

The proportion of North Lincolnshire’s population represented by the BAME community is 4%. This is below the national average (14.6%).

Local authority

The North Lincolnshire Council Core Strategy (2010-2026) states that it is committed to working with its partners, appropriate agencies and the voluntary sector to ensure provision of good quality, well maintained leisure, recreation and open space facilities, which meet the needs of its local communities. This links to its Health and Wellbeing Strategy (2016) which sets out the objective to promote community health and wellbeing by maintaining and providing quality open spaces, play and sports facilities, better access to the countryside and improved health facilities.

It is in the process of developing its new PPS. This will replace and update the previous version which was adopted in 2013.

County football association

North Lincolnshire is covered by the Lincolnshire County FA. It provides governance for, and development support to, all aspects of local football including coaches, referees, volunteers, clubs and leagues; supporting football for all. It has a designated facilities investment lead officer who works to ensure the right facilities are located in the right locations.

Football Foundation

The Regional Engagement Manager and Regional Technical Project Manager at the Football Foundation work collaboratively with the County FA to provide pre-application support to priority projects for potential investment.

County Sport Partnership

North Lincolnshire is covered by Active Humber, the Active Partnership for the County area, which has a remit to support people of all ages and backgrounds to improve their health & wellbeing by taking part in regular physical activity and sport; working to and supporting Sport England’s Towards an Active Nation strategy at a county level.

Sport England

Has a network of planning managers who have a statutory role in the planning system to protect playing fields and provide consultation responses to planning applications relating to sporting facilities . They also play a key role in strategic planning for sports facilities, providing advice and support to local authorities to assess need for facilities in their local area.

Professional community club organisations (CCOs)

These offer a variety of programmes and services to support local communities (sporting and non-sporting). The Scunthorpe United Community Trust runs a variety of health, education, engagement, football and sporting activities within the local area.

Local leisure operator

North Lincolnshire Council is the key leisure operator in North Lincolnshire. It currently operates key sites including sports centres (seven), 3G FTPs (two) and a total of 18 grass pitches.

Local consultation

This has taken place with a broad and diverse set of community groups in North Lincolnshire. 23 individuals (representing 19 local organisations) were spoken to. The agencies consulted include:

• ONGO Communities
• Get Ahead Partnership
• Appleby Frodingham Sports & Social Club
• Scunthorpe Sunday Football League

(See Appendix B for full list of consultees)

Clubs

There are over 91,000 community football teams in England, spread over an expansive network of clubs and leagues. North Lincolnshire has a total of 257 teams, which is comparable to local areas of a similar size.

The FA is investing to support clubs both on and off the pitch which includes an aim to have a qualified FA coach with every youth team by 2020/21. In addition, it will support 1,000 clubs to create full player pathways from youth to adult teams and develop 150 community football hubs with male and female pathways, disability and recreational playing opportunities.

Over the last 10-years there has been a significant national increase in the number of large multi-team football clubs. In North Lincolnshire, nine clubs have more than ten registered teams. These (based upon 2018-19 affiliation data) are:

• Bottesford Town FC - 26 teams
• Appleby Froddingham JFC - 22 teams
• Epworth Town Colts AFC - 19 teams
• Dale Park Youth Organisation - 14 teams
• Brigg Town JFC -13 teams
• Crowle Colts Juniors - 12 teams
• Messingham Juniors – 12 teams
• Barton Junior FC – 11 teams
• Park Tigers JFC – 11 teams

Leagues

Several leagues operate across North Lincolnshire; these include;

• EC Surfacing LTD Scunthorpe & District Football League -17 teams, offers competitive opportunities for adult male players.
• Jack Kalson Junior League (Sunday) - 55 teams, offers competitive opportunities for youth players.
• Jack Kalson League (Saturday) - 50 teams, offers competitive opportunities for youth players.
• Liberty Merchant Bar Junior Football League - 96 teams, offers competitive opportunities for youth players.
• Paul Fox Scunthorpe & District Sunday League - 30 teams, offers competitive opportunities for adult male players.
• Lincoln Co-Op Mid Lincs Youth League - male and female provision – 398 teams total with 5 teams from North Lincolnshire – home and away / central venue / central venue at multiple sites - all
• Gainsborough Standard Sunday League - 26 teams total with 4 teams from North Lincolnshire - home and away
• Lincolnshire Intermediate Football League - 17 teams in total with 4 teams from North Lincolnshire - home and away

The County FA reports cross boundary migration to/from North Lincolnshire due to teams migrating playing in the East Riding Girls Football League / Doncaster & District Junior Sunday League / East Riding Womens League & East Riding Hull & District Veterans Football League

Disability football

There are 9.4million people in England with a long-standing limiting disability, illness or condition which equates to 18% of the population – almost one in five. Football playing opportunities should be flexible, inclusive and accessible for everyone, whatever their level of ability. This could entail inclusion in mainstream activity or teams / sessions specifically for people with a disability.

In North Lincolnshire there is one football team specifically for people with a disability. It is a priority of the County FA to grow this provision. For talented players the FA runs regional centres and England national squads.

Women and girls

The FA has big ambitions for the female game and aims to double levels of participation by 2020. To achieve this requires a combined effort across four pathways: education, recreation, competition and talent.

Education environments have a huge impact on the first experience of football for young girls. This pathway can offer many opportunities for females of all ages to develop and grow a lifelong interest in football.

FA Wildcats girls football centres provide the first step on the recreational pathway, the programme provides girls aged 5-11 with regular opportunities to play football in a fun and engaging environment. North Lincolnshire has one FA Wildcats girls football centre and the priority is to grow this activity.

At 14, North Lincolnshire number of female teams is comparable to local areas of a similar size. The County FA’s priority is to support existing clubs to grow and encourage more clubs to develop playing opportunities for females. The local girls’ league from Under 12’s upwards is the Lincoln Co-Op Mid Lincs Youth League in which matches are played on a home and away basis. League provision for Under 11’s and below is the Lincolnshire Girls & Goals League. Both are expected to grow provision in future years. The local adult female league is the Lincolnshire Womens County Football League. It too plays matches on a home and away and is expected to grow its provision in future years.

For talented players, the most local FA regional talent clubs (RTCs) are Doncaster Belles and York City (located in Doncaster and Yorks respectively). Higher level talent pathway opportunities are also provided regionally and nationally by the FA, culminating in the England Women’s national squads. The nearest Women’s Super League team is Sheffield United which provides player pathway opportunities for gifted and talented female players and a spectator interest for fans.

Small sided football

Many different types of small-sided football are played in England, from teams and leagues to recreational and informal. It is an established and important part of the modern game.

Many different types of small-sided football are played in England, from teams and leagues to recreational and informal. It is an established and important part of the modern game.

Small-sided teams and leagues are organised and competitive activities; typically with players registered to clubs and affiliated to leagues and their County FAs. Examples include Futsal and local small-sided leagues running at venues such as sports halls, 3G FTPs or small-sided 3G centres.

Key local providers include Powerplay.

Futsal is an exciting, fast-paced, small sided team game that is widely played across the world. Typically it is played on an indoor surface with hockey-sized goals and a size 4 football with reduced ball bounce. It is the FA’s aim to ensure Futsal is available across the country.

There are currently no futsal teams in North Lincolnshire. It is a priority for the County FA to grow opportunity for Futsal for all players.

Recreational football

Recreational football is played where facilities are typically booked and there might be someone to help organise. Examples include FA Just Play sessions, walking football and casual pitch hire for small-sided match play.

There are currently no FA Just Play Centres in North Lincolnshire. Walking football and Just Play have been prioritised by the County FA for further growth and development. Other local recreational football programmes include pro-club community scheme activity delivered by Scunthorpe United Community Trust and casual, recreational bookings which are made available by a range of organisations.

Informal football

Informal football is played in local parks and green spaces – it is free, open access and often played spontaneously (normal clothing is worn). Common examples include a kick-about at a local park or on a multi-use games area (MUGA).

Currently, informal football in North Lincolnshire is played across local parks within the local authority.

The key strengths of local football in North Lincolnshire include Llague provision for adult male and youth football, local teams accessing leagues across the county that offer suitable provision and the amount of clubs with ten plus teams. Provision needs to be sustained and also encouraged to grow further. However, gaps in provision do exist these include FA Just Play Centres, small sided opportunity, disability football and SSE Wildcats centres.

It is therefore recommended that the future football development priorities for North Lincolnshire are:

1. Just Play centres
2. Small sided opportunity
3. Disability football provision
4. Female provision
5. Walking Football

The facilities required to assist this are now set out in the Assets and opportunities section.

In addition, each priority project that progresses to a funding application via the Football Foundation will produce a detailed ‘site development plan’ specifying all football development activity, usage and key partner engagement.

This section reviews existing football facility assets in North Lincolnshire. It identifies current issues and presents opportunities for improvements, including a list of priority projects for potential investment.

Local assets and opportunities have been reviewed in line with four investment priorities:

• 3G FTPs
• Improved grass pitches
• Changing room pavilions / clubhouses
• Small sided facilities

To ensure a consistent and high quality approach, each local area has been reviewed applying a standard approach, supplemented by input from consultation with local partners and stakeholder organisations.

While each investment priority is reviewed individually, it is understood that they can be inter-reliant; account is, thus, taken of these potential connections.

3G FTPs are a high quality and indispensable part of modern football facilities; their impact cannot be underestimated. In recent years the industry has seen major innovations and improvements to artificial surfaces (and sports lighting). This has created playing surfaces that replicate a good standard natural turf pitch whilst significantly increasing levels of use (x20). All FTPs must have sports lighting to achieve this.

The high quality, consistent playing surface is the ideal environment to play the game and for young people to learn. With regular maintenance programmes, FTPs can be heavily used all year round with no decline in quality. They almost completely negate annoying fixture cancellations during winter months, helping football to be a key part of a regular physical activity habit.

High capacity levels offer a great opportunity to embrace all formats and engage all participants. A full-sized 3G caters for an average of 1,200 participants per week and is suitable for various location types. That means being fully inclusive to all sections of the community, with a particular focus on under-represented groups such as women and girls, people with a disability, BAME communities and people from lower socio-economic groups.

The way 3G FTPs are used is rapidly changing; current line-marking systems allow for match play across all formats of football (5v5, 7v7, 9v9 and 11v11). This enables significant levels of match-play to be transferred from grass to 3G.

Existing full-sized (11v11) 3G FTPs in North Lincolnshire are:

• Baysgarth School
• Fredrick Gough School

Additionally, there are currently four small-sided 3G FTP centres in North Lincolnshire:

• Axholme North Leisure Centre (9v9)
• South Axholme Academy (9v9)
• Brumby Hall (7v7)
• The St Lawrence Academy (7v7)

Both of the full size 3G FTPs are available for community use although there are some temporary restrictions at Fredrick Gough School. Partners are currently working to resolve this issue and reinstate full use. This site is regarded as part of the local 3G FTP supply.

Both full size 3G FTPs, as well as the 9v9 3G FTP at Axholme North Leisure Centre are on the FA Register for 3G FTPs (meaning they are quality checked and can be used for football match play). It is strongly recommended that the 9v9 3G FTP at South Axholme Academy and any future 3G FTPs developed in the area are on the register to enable more match play on 3G.

There is no current PPS and a new one is in process. As a consequence, demand for full sized 3G FTPs has been calculated using the FA training ratio model 1:38. On the basis that there are 257 teams in North Lincolnshire, there is a requirement for seven full sized 3G FTPs (rounded up from 6.7). There is, thus, a shortfall of five full-sized 3G FTPs.

Due to the fact that there are also two 9v9 3G FTPs available for community use, it was agreed that the shortfall position with regard to full-sized 3G FTPs might need to be reviewed; pending relaxation of the present restrictions on use at the Fredrick Gough School, this is yet to be confirmed.

The geographic spread of existing facilities is uneven, current provision is mainly located in the centre of the Borough (which has the highest population and levels of deprivation) and the west of the Authority. There are provision gaps in the east and south to address; the east of the area in particular also has pockets of higher deprivation.

Local consultation reveals common issues to tackle in respect of limited availability, cost of hire and insufficient opportunity for match play on 3G as well as the specific issues related to access to Fredrick Gough School.

Five priority projects for potential investment are identified, all for full-sized 3G FTPs. Each site was selected based upon a rationale of good access, high population, geographic spread, existing facility quality and capacity to cater for people living in areas with high levels of deprivation.

Playing fields are one of the most important resources for sport in England. All football players should have the opportunity to play on good quality grass pitches. However, FA data shows that 63% of pitches in England are poor / low quality and one in six games is cancelled. As such, poor pitch quality is consistently cited as the number one issue for players.

The priority is, therefore, to sustainably improve grass pitch quality across all main pitch owners (local authorities, education establishments and clubs). However, the level of maintenance required to obtain good quality standards is regularly affected by restricted budgets and limited knowledge/ training. Compaction and grass coverage are two key causes of poor quality pitches. Both are commonly treated via a maintenance driven solution (and do not necessarily require costly drainage schemes).

Playing fields are also a valuable resources for informal play and open-access sites are encouraged but, for many, problems such as dog fouling and vandalism mean that they need to be protected with mitigation measures such as fencing.

The key challenge is to create a sustainable approach to provide good quality football pitches for the long term. Most local authorities (78%) intend to increase pitch hire fees in the future. However, the majority of players (63%) believe facilities are already expensive and some (16%) believe prices are prohibitive. A sustainable solution should, therefore, carefully balance pitch quality and affordability.

While the education sector (37%) and local authorities (32%) are still the principal asset owners of grass pitches, clubs / leagues own or maintain an increasing share (currently 25%). Assets and opportunities have been considered across each sector.

Although large (3+ pitch) strategic sites are important and make up much of the project list within the LFFPs, this does not mean that other club, league and community/voluntary sites are not important or eligible for funding. These sites are key to the Football Foundation's Grass Pitch Programme to deliver 20,000 good quality pitches.

For more information click here.

PitchPower

The PitchPower app is the gateway to any grass pitch improvement funding. It is the tool that will allow clubs and organisations to complete pitch inspections and access funds.

If you haven't signed up and completed a PitchPower pitch inspection, you will need to do this before you can apply for the Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund.

Learn more by clicking here.

There are currently 30 grass pitch sites in North Lincolnshire with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three but deemed to be of strategic importance). These contain 85 grass pitches. Of these 30 sites, ten are considered to have good quality pitches, ten are rated standard quality and ten poor quality.

12 sites have been prioritised for improvement; this will affect a total of 43 pitches.

Local consultation highlights common issues with poor quality and low levels of current maintenance and it is recommended that this is also addressed. Chafer Grubs are also a significant and prominent problem and is significantly impacting on pitch quality across a number of sites.

12 priority projects for potential investment are identified. Pitch quality rating was evidenced by the current PPS process and ratified by local partners. Prioritisation was based upon a rationale of selecting sites in the poorest condition, that have the potential to be best utilised and are deemed to be of strategic importance.

These can provide a number of different benefits. While the primary function is normally the provision of changing rooms to accommodate match-play and training (for players and officials), there can be equal value in facilities such as community and education rooms, catering facilities and spectator toilets.

Each project will take a progressive approach to pavilions and clubhouses (beyond the provision of changing rooms) and be open to new opportunities to engage the whole community. That means, creating environments that are welcoming to players, spectators, volunteers, officials and all sections of the community.

Such assets should support other investment priorities (e.g. 3G FTPs and grass pitches) and be located at sites that will have the greatest impact on local communities. To ensure this, focus is given to sites with three or more full-size pitch equivalents. However, as pitch quality is the number one priority for players this is prioritised before investment in changing room pavilions /clubhouses.

Clearly, facilities need to be well managed and maintained to keep them in a good state of repair. Consideration will be given to reviewing the best operator solution for key sites and the installation of revenue generating features such as catering facilities and community rooms. To achieve this, business plan support will be given to each priority project as it progresses to an application to the Football Foundation.

Of the 30 key grass pitch sites in North Lincolnshire with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three pitches but of strategic importance) 26 have suitable changing rooms and four require improvement/replacement.

Four priority projects for potential investment are identified. Prioritisation was informed by local partners with the rationale of selecting sites which are deemed to have an unsuitable pavilion that requires replacement or refurbishment.

Good facilities are important to all small sided football players, but it is important to understand the different formats of the small-sided game and the various facility types they relate to.

Research suggests that small-sided players in teams and leagues, and in recreational sessions, prefer a 3G surface type because it replicates a good standard natural turf pitch. These facilities have already been covered in the 3G FTP section of this LFFP.

Indoor environments currently accommodate 20% of football participation and are also popular with players in teams and leagues and recreational sessions . Indoor sports halls are most popular, along with some community halls and indoor 3G centres. Environments need to be engaging, have clear line-marking and the correct size goalposts.

Informal players require facilities that are open and free to access as this enables play opportunities that are often spontaneous. In these circumstances multi-use games areas (MUGAs) can be effective in areas of high urban population and limited green space. Such facilities can be modern, bright, creative and engaging. While this plan will identify suitable locations for such facilities, the design and specifics of the facility type can be agreed at a later stage with Football Foundation staff when projects are ready to progress to pre-application stage.

Parks and open green spaces are also important to informal play and require goalposts and zones that are free from litter and dog fouling.

Local consultation indicates one indoor facility that requires improvement, as well as potential to provide a new indoor facility to develop small sided football.

Following local consultation, and assisted by the Sport England green spaces mapping tool, three potential opportunities for MUGAs have been identified. In each case the rationale is based on the site being in an area of high urban population with lower levels of green space, relatively high proportions of people from lower social economic groups and corresponding high local demand for informal football. In addition, the sites are highlighted as being popular local parks and open green spaces with suitable space/areas to further increase informal football participation.

Following local consultation, and again assisted by the Sport England green spaces mapping tool, one location has been identified to support small sided informal football. Again, the rationale is based on it having a high urban population, lower levels of green space and relatively high proportions of lower social economic groups, as well as having the potential to increase informal football participation.

A range of local agencies and larger (usually 10 plus team) local football clubs were invited to participate in the LFFP consultation. Those that contributed are listed below:

• Chairman - Appleby Frodingham FC
• Manager - Appleby Frodingham Sports & Social Club
• Vise president - Appleby Frodingham Sports & Social Club
• Treasurer - Barton Juniors FC
• Director of Sport - Baysgarth School
• Chairman - Bottlesford Town FC
• Chair of trustees - Broughton Ravers Junior FC
• Chairman - Crosby United FC
• Chairman - Dale Park Junior FC
• Chairman - Epworth Colts AFC
• Wellbeing Manager - Get Ahead Partnership
• Chairman - Messingham Junior FC
• Active Communities Development Officer - North Lincolnshire Council
• Area Facility Manager - North Lincolnshire Council
• Health Improvement Manager - North Lincolnshire Council
• Senior Leisure and Active Lifestyles Manager - Isle of Axholme/Scunthorpe South Areas - North Lincolnshire Council
• Curriculum Leader in Sport - North Lindsey College
• Head of Sport - John Leggott Sixth Form College
• Community Development Manager - ONGO Communities
• Sports Development Manager - Positive Futures
• Community Trust Manager - Scunthorpe United Community Trust
• League Secretary - Scunthorpe Sunday League
• Chairman - Park Tigers FC