Local Football Facility Plan Sefton

Sefton is located in the North West region. The current population of the Authority (ONS 2017 Mid-Year Estimate) is 274,589. This is expected to rise to 284,299 by 2039.

Sefton’s ethnic composition is primarily white (97.4%). This is much higher than the national average (85.4%).

The proportion of Sefton’s population represented by the BAME community is 2.6%. This is significantly below the national average (14.6%).

Local authority

Sefton Council’s Health & Wellbeing Strategy sets out priorities related to:

• healthy and well supported communities
• access to opportunities for all
• attractive and sustainable place and communities
• empowered and supported residents.

The Authority's Playing Pitch Strategy (PPS) was signed off in 2016. The key findings and stated overarching priorities are that :

• There are shortfalls in respect of both the quality and quantity of grass football pitches across Sefton.
• There is a significant shortfall of 3G football pitches (there is a need for at least 11 full-sized (11v11) 3G football turf pitches (FTPs) using the FA model).

County football association

Sefton is covered by the Liverpool County FA which provides governance and development support to all aspects of local football including coaches, referees, volunteers, clubs and leagues; supporting football for all. The County FA 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.

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 club community organisations (CCOs)

These continue to expand and enhance their range of community delivery, offering a variety of programmes and services to support local communities (sporting and non-sporting). Liverpool FC Foundation currently have a Friday evening Premier League Kicks session that runs 6-8pm at Netherton Activity Centre. Everton FC in the Community , whilst not currently operating in Sefton would also like to undertake activity in the local area should the opportunity arise.

Local leisure operator

There is a mixed economy in terms of Leisure facility management in Sefton. Facilities such as Litherland Sports Centre, Bootle leisure centre and Crosby watersports centre are managed in house by the Authority, meanwhile Parkwood Leisure operate Crosby leisure centre, and Formby leisure centre is managed by an independent trust.

Local consultation

This has taken place with a broad and diverse set of community groups in Sefton. 12 individuals (representing 10 local organisations) were consulted. Agencies consulted include:

• Bootle FC
• Southport FC
• Southport & District League
• Hightown Junior 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. Sefton has a total of 635 teams, which is higher than 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 Sefton, 16 clubs have more than 10 registered teams. The largest of these (based upon 2017-18 affiliation data) are:

• Formby Junior Sports Club – 32 teams
• Netherton Junior – 32 teams
• Litherland Remyca – 30 teams
• Redgate Rovers – 24 teams
• Crosby Stuart – 24 teams
• Maghull Youth – 24 teams
• Northfield Sports Association – 22 teams
• FC Northern – 20 teams

Four leagues operate in Sefton. They offer competitive opportunities for many different players, including women and girls, youth and adults. Sefton largest local leagues (2017-18) include:

Craven Minor League – 145 teams– home and away venues

Hightown Junior League – 101 teams – central venue at multiple sites for boys and girls

Bootle & Netherton Junior League – 131 teams – central venue at multiple sites

The County FA reports some cross boundary migration to/from Sefton due to teams migrating inwards to play in the Hightown League and outwards to play in the Walton & Kirkdale 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 Sefton 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 run regional centres and England national squads. The majority of Sefton based disability teams migrate into Liverpool central venue leagues.

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. Sefton has six FA Wildcats girls football centres and the priority is to sustain and grow this activity.

At 45, Sefton’s number of female teams is higher than 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 is the Hightown Girls League and matches are played on a central venue basis. It is expected to grow provision in future years. The local adult female league is the LCFA Womens League and matches are played on a home and away across Merseyside; again it expects to grow provision in future years.

For talented players, the most local FA regional talent clubs (RTCs) are Everton Ladies (Childwall) and Liverpool Women (Walton). Talent pathway opportunities are also provided regionally and nationally by the FA, culminating in the England Women’s national squads. The most local Women’s Super League teams are Everton and Liverpool Ladies both of 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.

Small-sided teams & 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

• Goals Liverpool North
• Play Football
• Active Soccer

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 is currently one futsal team in Sefton which plays in the Blackpool and Fylde Futsal League. It is a priority for the County FA to grow Futsal for male, female, youth and adult 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 four FA Just Play centres in Sefton. Walking football sessions are delivered by a range of community organisation such as Active Soccer. Walking football and Just Play are prioritised by the County FA for further growth and development.

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 Sefton is played all over the Borough. Play Football, Active Soccer and Dunes Leisure Centre are well used key site locations.

The key strengths of local football in Sefton include Youth Male, Youth Female and Mini Soccer provision and it is recommend that this is sustained and also encouraged to grow further. However, key gaps include Adult Female and Disability provision.

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

Adult Female

Adult Male

Disability Football

Youth Female

Futsal

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

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 Sefton. 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 inline with four investment priorities:

1. 3G FTPs
2. Improved grass pitches
3. Changing room pavilions / clubhouses
4. 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.

The national ‘Mini Pitch’ programme delivers small 3G FTPs at primary school sites to provide a high quality introduction to football and get children more physically active. While mini pitches are reviewed in this section, they are not included in the demand and supply analysis for 3G FTPs.

FA data states that there are currently no full-size 3G FTPs in Sefton. 3G provision is limited to five small-sided centres containing 21 5 v 5 pitches.

Sefton's PPS (2016) identifies a shortfall of 11 full-size 3G FTPs relative to assessed demand based on a total of 587 affiliated teams. Since then the number of affiliated teams has grown to 635 resulting in a current shortfall of seventeen (17) full-size 3G FTPs based on a 1: 38 supply / demand ratio.

The small sided 3G FTPs in Sefton are located at:

• Stanley High School - 3 x 5 v 5 FTPs
• Playfootball (Liverpool North) - 7 x 5 v 5 FTPs
• Goals Soccer Centre (Liverpool North) -3 x 5 v 5 FTPs
• Netherton Activity Centre - 4 x 5 v 5 FTPs
• Formby Play Sports - 4 x 5 v 5 FTPs

In terms of geographic priorities for new full-size FTPs, the PPS suggests that there is a need for a double full-sized (11v11) 3G FTP site in each of the north, central and south zones noted below.

• Bootle and Netherton (South)
• Crosby and Hightown (South)
• Formby (Central)
• Southport (North)
• Maghull & Sefton East (Central / East)

In addition, Sefton's Local Plan (2017) names Litherland Sports Park and Meols Park in Southport as sites that would, potentially, benefit from the installation of new full-sized 3G FTPs via commuted sum payments linked to the development of former school playing pitch sites.

Consultation found that due to the absence of full-sized FTPs in Sefton , teams routinely travel significant distances from the North of the borough into West Lancashire (Skelmersdale) and shorter distances in the South to access facilities in North Liverpool such as those at Archbishop Beck School and the newly opened Jeffrey Humble football hub site.

Significant overplay at Council grass pitch sites is also a feature of junior league football in Sefton. This is also considered to be the consequence of a lack of full-size 3G FTPs.

Eight priority projects for potential investment have been identified comprising 11 full-sized FTPs and one small sided FTP . Whilst the proposed figure of twelve is short of the overall required number (17), these proposals would provide good geographic coverage across the PPS analysis areas and present a realistic programme of work should they all be delivered. Future iterations of the plan should address the remaining shortfall. Undersupply was calculated using the FA 3G FTP demand and supply model. Sites were nominated by local partners based upon a rationale encompassing good access, high population, geographic spread, the limited quality of existing facilities, high levels of deprivation and a high proportion of lower social economic groups.

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 standard and one in six games are 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.

In many local areas the key challenge is to create a sustainable approach to provide good quality football pitches for the long-term. Many local authorities (78%) intend to increase pitch hire fees in the future. However, many 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.

Pitch finder data indicates that there are currently 14 grass pitch sites in Sefton with three or more full-size pitch equivalents containing 68 grass pitches.

Of these, 8 are considered to have good quality pitches, 55 are of standard quality and 5 poor quality.

Local consultation shows common issues with poor quality and overuse of pitches and it is recommended that these are addressed.

Seven priority projects for potential investment have been identified. Five of the seven sites have three or more full-size pitch equivalents of poor or standard quality. The remaining two sites (Sandy Lane & Sandbrook Rd) are two pitch sites which have been identified as requiring grounds maintenance equipment and pitch reconfiguration respectively.

Pitch quality rating was evidenced by PPS data and qualified by local partners such as the Southport & district junior league. Due to significant number of grass pitch sites in Sefton local partners did not select all sites and prioritised only six, containing 33 full-size pitch equivalents. The prioritisation was informed by local partners with the rationale of selecting sites in the poorest condition and with a strategic focus to improve local authority pitches.

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 16 key grass pitch sites in Sefton with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with less than three pitches but of strategic importance), 11 have suitable changing rooms, one requires improvement / replacement and four have no facilities and require a new changing room.

In addition to the five key sites identified above, two brand new sites; Ferryside Lane (Southport FC) and Drummond Rd (Liverpool County FA) will also require new build pavilions.

Seven priority projects for potential investment have been identified. This was informed by local partners based upon the rationale of selecting sites which are deemed to have an unsuitable pavilion which needs to be replaced or refurbished, or sites requiring new provision to support participation or other facility development:

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 & 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 & 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 reveals there is one indoor facility (Activity for All) that requires improvement to develop small-sided football.

Four 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 limited green space, high levels of deprivation, high levels of lower social economic groups and corresponding high local demand for informal football:

Following local consultation, no locations have been identified to support small-sided informal football.

• Committee member - Marine FC
• Committe member - Bootle FC
• Secretary - Hightown Junior League
• Secretary - Southport & District League
• Chairman - Formby FC
• CEO - Activity for All
• CEO - Southport FC
• Business manager - Formby High School
• Head of planning - Sefton Council
• Development manager - Sefton Council
• Facilities and development management officer -Sefton Council
• Community cohesion manager - Everton in the Community