Local Football Facility Plan Wolverhampton

Demographics for the area can be seen below:

Local authority

The Playing Pitch Strategy (PPS) was updated in 2022. The Strategy identifies that there is a need for an additional 3.5 3G FTPs to service the number of clubs in Wolverhampton currently; this increases to 4.5 additional 3G FTPs when considering future demand.

County football association

Wolverhampton is covered by both Birmingham County FA and Staffordshire County FA. They provide governance for, and development support to, all aspects of local football including coaches, referees, volunteers, clubs and leagues; supporting football for all. Each 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 Delivery Manager, Facilities Planning 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. The Regional Facilities Planning Manager (FPM) will lead and be responsible for all aspects of strategic planning as well as leading on the refresh of LFFPs.

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 Wolverhampton Wanderers Foundation runs a variety of health, education, engagement, football and sporting activities within the local area.

Local leisure operator

WV Active is the key leisure operator in Wolverhampton. It currently operates a key strategic football site, WV Active Aldersley.

Local consultation

Local consultation took place with a broad and diverse set of community groups in the original LFFP. The LFFP is being refreshed following the consultation and engagement undertaken as part of the recent Playing Pitch Strategy in 2022; the findings of which have been key to the refresh of this Plan.

(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.

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 Wolverhampton, five clubs have more than 10 registered teams. These are:

• Bilbrook Juniors - 39 teams,
• NPV Football Academy - 12 teams,
• Wolverhampton Olympic - 11 teams

Leagues

Leagues offer competitive opportunity for many different players, including women and girls, disability, youth and adults. The largest local leagues are:

• Staffordshire Girls & Ladies League
• Walsall Junior Youth League

Disability football

There are 9.4 million 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.

Comets is a recreational, pan-disability football programme for disabled boys and girls aged between 5 and 11. Pan-disability is the largest format of disability football, which sees players with a broad range of impairments and health conditions play together. Comets offers a flexible and inclusive way of playing, one that’s all about playfulness, friendships and having fun. For talented players the FA runs regional centres and England national squads. Projects identified in the LFFP help CFAs support disability football delivery on a local level, which will be identified through local community engagement.

Women and girls

The FA’s strategy, titled Inspiring Positive Change, pledges to create a sustainable future for women’s and girls’ football in England. One key target set out was for 75% of schools to be delivering equal access to football in PE lessons by 2024. This target was achieved a whole year ahead of schedule. The strategy outlines eight transformational objectives, the following across grassroots football:-

• Early Participation – Every primary school-aged girl to have equal access to football in school and in clubs.
• Development Participation – Every girl to have equal access to participate for fun, for competition and for excellence.
• Club Player Pathway – Collaborate with clubs to develop an effective high-performance, inclusive player-centred pathway.
• Football For All – Recruit and support a motivated, diverse range of local leaders organising football for their communities.
• Coaching – Support the development of exceptional coaches at every level of the game who are representative of our society.
• Refereeing – Ensure that every female referee afforded high-quality bespoke learning and development opportunities from grassroots through to the elite game.

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. FA Squad Girls' football sessions provide girls aged 12-14 with a fun, non-competitive way to play football locally with friends, whether completely new to football, transitioning from Wildcats, or simply wanting to play.

For talented players, the Girls' Emerging Talent Centres (ETCs) across the nation are provided to increase and diversify the talent pool and give more girls than ever the chance to take their first steps on the pathway towards playing professional football. Higher level talent pathway opportunities are also provided regionally and nationally by the FA, culminating in the England Women’s national squads. Women’s Super League and Women's Championship teams provide player pathway opportunities for gifted and talented female players and a spectator interest for fans.

One catalyst for growth was the victory by the Lionesses in the 2022 EUROs finals. Female football is now growing at a rate of 13% year on year and it is imperative that there is sufficient supply and quality of facilities (both on and off the pitch) to meet this demand. By 2030 it is estimated that 21% of all teams will be women and girls' teams.

Casual football

Casual 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 match play. Casual football demand will be explored as part of the community engagement when a facility project is developed to ensure that the needs are captured. 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. Each project must be mindful to offer opportunities beyond the affiliated game, particularly for women and girls.

This section reviews existing football facility assets. 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
• Off pitch and ancillary facilities (e.g. toilets, changing rooms, catering)
• PlayZones

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 pitches 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. All 3G pitches must have sports lighting and offer a broad programme of community use 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, 3G pitches 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. An 11v11 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 women and girls, low socio-economic groups, people with disabilities and culturally diverse communities. The way 3G pitches are used allows for match play across all formats of football (5v5, 7v7, 9v9 and 11v11). This enables match play to be transferred from grass to 3G as well as being a fantastic asset for training. Only pitches on The FA 3G Register can accommodate affiliated match play (meaning they are quality checked). It is strongly recommended that all pitches are registered.

Although Football Foundation investment will always be football led, 3G pitches offer a fantastic opportunity to support other sports, particularly traditional grass pitch sports. Where appropriate, and through engagement with other NGBs, projects below will include potential multisport opportunities.

There are four 11v11 3G FTPs in Wolverhampton, of which 2 are available for community use.

Pitches available for community use are located at located at:

• City of Wolverhampton College (100x65m)
• Our Lady & St Chad Catholic Academy (100x60m)

Pitches unavailable for community use are located at:

• Heath Park School (102x62m)
• St Jack Hayward Training Ground (103x66m)

Further to outdoor 11v11 provision, there is an indoor 11v11 3G pitch located at Sir Jack Hayward Training Ground and an indoor 9v9 3G pitch at the Wolves Foundation facility at WVActive Aldersley.

In addition to the 11v11 3G pitches in Wolverhampton, there are also six sites containing eight smaller size 3G pitches . Five of which are available for community use and floodlit (the pitch at Khalsa Academy is neither). Two are 60m x 40m sized or larger. They are:

• Coppice Performing Arts School (62x42m)
• Ormiston New Academy (65x33m)

Wolverhampton has a Playing Pitch Strategy (PPS) undertaken in 2022. The PPS indicates that there is a current shortfall of 3.5 11v11 3G FTPs in the City to meet current demand which increases to 4.5 11v11 3G FTPs to meet future demand. Furthermore, the pitch at the City of Wolverhampton College (installed in 2010) is at the end of its lifespan and will require resurfacing. As this was a previously Football Foundation funded pitch, it will be the responsibility of the College to replace the surface.

Two of the four pitches are available for community use. It is recommended that community use opportunities are explored at Heath Park School. Both of the 11v11 3G pitches which are available for community use (i.e. City of Wolverhampton College and Our Lady & St Chad Catholic Academy) are on the FA Register for 3G FTPs (meaning they are quality checked and can be used for football match play). Likewise, the indoor 9v9 3G pitch at Wolves Foundation facility at WVActive Aldersley is also on the register. In addition, the smaller sized pitch at The Way Youth Zone is also on the FA Register and could therefore accommodate competitive mini football matches.

The 11v11 pitch that is not currently accredited is provided at Heath Park School.

There is a single pitch located within each of the Bilston, North, Central & South and Wednesfield analysis areas. This means that no 11v11 pitches are provided in the Tettenhall Analysis Area.

Local consultation reveals common issues with low availability in Wolverhampton due to limited spare capacity.

The FA has seen unprecedented growth over the last five years, particularly in the youth and women & girls game. Overall participation is estimated to grow year on year, equating to an additional 85 teams in the local authority by 2030, of which 18 will come from women and girls. This could represent the equivalent of at least two additional 11v11 3G FTPs.

Allowances will be made for in the LFFP for ancillary provision for each pitch if needed, however this is subject to the final agreed location of any additional future provision and an assessment as to whether there are existing suitable facilities available. This is displayed as a future participation growth project below.

The following priority projects for potential investment are identified:

The Football Foundation is on a mission to transform the quality of grass football pitches across England, because great facilities enhance physical and mental wellbeing, strengthen communities and empower people.

The quality of football pitches is a huge issue for community football; 150,000 matches are postponed each year due to poor pitches. We are therefore on a mission to have 20,000 quality grass pitches across England so that everyone has a great place to play. Since the programme began there are over 7000 quality pitches and the next milestone is to have 12,000 quality pitches by 2028.

The key challenge is to create a sustainable approach to provide good quality football pitches for the long term. While the education sector and local authorities are still the principal asset owners of grass pitches, clubs and leagues own or maintain an increasing share and we will continue to prioritise investment into sites that are maintained by clubs or leagues. Investment into new or additional machinery and equipment is an important step towards sustainability for the voluntary sector. Ensuring eligible organisations can maintain their own sites, supplemented by contracted out major works (e.g. aeration) is a more cost-effective approach in the long term.

See the link for more information on grass pitches Football Foundation | Grass Pitch Improvement

Below is a list of opportunities and funding available to support this ambitious work:

PitchPower: PitchPower is the Football Foundation's free web app for inspecting grass football, rugby and cricket pitches. Using a smart phone or tablet, a pitch inspection can be completed at the touch of a button. This provides a detailed assessment report with recommendations on improving the quality of grass pitches. The PitchPower app is available to all pitch operators as a way to assess grass pitch quality and gain access to grass pitch improvement recommendations. See Football Foundation | PitchPower

The Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund: The fund provides eligible organisations with a tapered six-year grant to help them sustain pitches already at a 'good' level and enhance pitches that are either considered 'poor' or 'basic'. to be eligible, organisations such as clubs and leagues must use the PitchPower web app to assess their pitches. Grants are also available towards maintenance machinery and equipment identified through a PitchPower report. Football Foundation | Grass Pitch

Home Advantage: 87% of grassroots football is played on grass with local authority-owned pitches making up 60% of those used for the affiliated game. However, budget pressures often mean local authorities lack the resources to maintain their grass pitches to a high standard, contributing towards the thousands of match postponements every season due to poor quality pitches.

The Home Advantage Programme aims to support grassroots clubs and organisations to take on long-term leases of the local authority sites they play at. Click the link to find out more Home Advantage Programme | Football Foundation

The Football Foundation Groundskeeping Community: a free platform that helps connect people to expert grass pitch knowledge and support. The main objectives are:

• To provide accessible learning resources to help further and extend knowledge
• To connect with leading industry experts and peers, to exchange tips & insights with fellow volunteers & professionals across the country
• To collaborate and build a community through case studies and discussion points

Sign up - Football Foundation (hivelearning.com)

Small grants: Grants up to £25k are available for items such as fencing and storage containers: Fencing | Football Foundation Storage containers | Football Foundation

Given the range of funding opportunities available, and the comparably shorter-term and accessible nature of grants opportunities for grass pitch improvements (versus major capital projects such as 3G FTPs and pavilions), specific investment priorities are not identified via Local Football Facility Plans. Prospective applicants are encouraged to discuss their requirements with their County FA in the first instance.

The priority now is to concentrate on those local authority owned sites that require improvements and agree sustainable solutions for pitch maintenance going forward. The first step is to ensure that all pitches have a baseline quality assessment done via PitchPower. There are eight key pitch sites, and it was determined that all of these should be prioritised for improvements. This will result in quality improvements to 30 pitches.

There are currently 17 key grass pitch sites in the local area that contain 36 grass pitches, that have been identified as either currently maintained, in part or whole, by grassroots clubs or leagues, or are maintained by the public sector (including schools) and of strategic importance to football locally.

The following club owned or operated sites remain a priority for grass pitch investment and are eligible for the Football Foundation's Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund:

• Bilbrook Junior Football Club
• Wolverhampton Cricket Club

There are a number of other sites which are presently under Council management but which are priorities for Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund, on the basis that the Council would look to improve facilities onsite to support the Club:

• Bellamy Lane Playing Fields
• Fowlers Playing Fields
• King George V Playing Fields
• Newbridge Playing Fields
• Windsor Avenue Playing Fields
• WV Active Aldersley

The priority now is to concentrate on those local authority owned sites that require improvements and agree sustainable solutions for pitch maintenance going forward. The first step is to ensure that all pitches have a baseline quality assessment done via PitchPower.

Of the 17 key club/league/community pitch sites referenced above it was determined that eight of these should be prioritised for improvements, along with three education sites. A further eight local authority managed sites should be prioritised for improvements, some which may hold opportunity for future transfer to club/league-led management and maintenance models. In total this will result in quality improvements to 82 pitches.

The following priority projects have been identified:

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. The process of community engagement once a project has been identified means the facility will properly service the local area and it's people, not just for football but potentially for other sports as well. It is essential to speak to female players as part of this process, as the game continues to grow at significant rates, suitable off pitch and ancillary provision for females is essential. It also means, creating environments that are welcoming to players, spectators, volunteers and officials from all sections of the community. See Football Foundation website for design considerations: Changing Pavilion Design Key Considerations | Football Foundation

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 11v11 pitch equivalents. However, as pitch quality is the number one priority for players this is prioritised before investment in changing room pavilions and 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. Where larger scale investment, such as those identified in this section, is not appropriate, small grants are also available to support upgrades and improvements to changing rooms, toilets and clubhouses. See Changing pavilions and clubhouses | Football Foundation

Of the 17 key grass pitch sites in Wolverhampton with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three but deemed to be of strategic importance), three sites require improvement/refurbishment and three have no facilities and require new changing rooms. Projects are included in this section where it is expected that new or refurbished facilities will contribute to strong sport and community outcomes, such as:

• Large multipitch sites (often three or more pitches) with significant football usage and poor off pitch facilities;
• A priority site for women and girls;
• Club and community sites;
• Sites with new 3G pitches.

The following priority projects have been identified for potential investment:

Good facilities are important to all small sided football players, but it is important to understand the different formats of the small-sided game, the audiences and the various facility types they relate to. Research suggests that small-sided players in teams and leagues, and in organised 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.

Whilst our priorities will always be football led, we believe small sided facilities provide a good opportunity to collaborate with other sports to deliver high quality spaces for people to play recreational sport. This will be achieved via our PlayZones Programme:

Football Foundation PlayZones Programme

PlayZones are modern, safe and engaging facilities that are designed for recreational football and at least one other sport. There are a range of facility types to meet the needs of different sports. Our research shows us that community engagement is the key to developing great small sided facilities and that we shouldn't try and identify sites without first identifying two key things:

• Key priority places within the local authority
• Key priority groups within the local authority

Through this programme we want to address stubborn inequalities in activity levels and access to sports facilities within four priority groups:

• Lower socio-economic groups
• Women and girls
• Disabled people and people with long-term health conditions
• Ethnically diverse communities

When it comes to small sided facilities one size does not fit all and localised design and ownership will yield the greatest engagement from under represented groups. Activation is also as important as the facility itself for these groups. Suitable places will be identified through a combination of mapping, to include identification of our priority groups and crossover with other multi-sport priorities. Further community engagement will be required for design and delivery. All projects will then need to be developed by a cross sector consortium where partners who understand and represent the people and the place come together to drive the project forward and create access and opportunities for priority groups.

More about the programme can be found on The Football Foundation website here: Football Foundation PlayZones Programme | Football Foundation

A range of local agencies were invited to participate in the LFFP consultation. Those that contributed are listed below. Clubs were not directly consulted for the development of the LFFP, having already been consulted during the production of the PPS. Needs captured within the PPS have been considered in the development of the LFFP.

• Principal Public Health Specialist - City of Wolverhampton Council
• Parks and Open Spaces Team - City of Wolverhampton Council
• Estates Team - City of Wolverhampton Council
• Head of Delivery - Staffordshire County FA
• Facility & Investment Lead - Birmingham County FA
• Head of Foundation - Wolves Community Trust
• Delivery Manager - Football Foundation
• Planning Manager - Sport England
• Facilities Development Manager (Midlands) – Rugby Football Union
• Facilities Planning Manager (Recreational Game) - England & Wales Cricket Board
• Facilities Relationship Manager - England Hockey
• National Clubs Manager - Rugby Football League
• Facilities Manager - Rugby Football League