- Wythenshawe Amateurs FC wins Budweiser Club Futures Super Grant -
19 March 2014 – Non-league football club Wythenshawe Amateurs, who play in the Manchester Football League Premier Division, will be able to transform its future after winning a £100,000 ‘Super Grant’ through the Budweiser Club Futures programme.
The fairy-tale story began for Wythenshawe in December, when the club was announced as one of eight football clubs in Steps 5-7 of the English football pyramid to be awarded £50,000 through the Budweiser programme.
The club then took part in a Facebook fan vote, alongside the other £50,000 winners, in a bid to secure the additional £100,000. Wythenshawe secured the most votes during the campaign, as well as gaining support from local celebrities and professional clubs in the area.
The award of the £100,000 Super Grant means that Budweiser has now injected £1million directly into non-league football in the UK through the Club Futures programme.
Wythenshawe Amateurs FC now has big plans to expand, using the Club Futures grant to build a new facility in Holyhedge. This will be designed not only to host the players, but also to act as a social hub for the local community. It is hoped the investment will help Wythenshawe deliver its dream of moving up the local divisions to the higher levels of non-league football.
Carl Barratt, Vice-Chairman of Wythenshawe Amateurs FC, said:
“Winning the £100,000 is not only another huge financial boost for us, but the whole process has brought the club and region together, in what has been a massive team effort. I cannot quantify the impact £100,000 will have on everyone involved at our great club; it will change our whole future and I can’t wait to see the club build and grow. It was incredible to gain the support of so many in the local Manchester area. We were overwhelmed by the number of celebrities who backed us on Twitter and were delighted that professional teams took so much interest in what we were doing.
Wythenshawe Amateurs were in desperate need of quality facilities and thanks to the Budweiser grant we’ve received we are on track to provide them. This will benefit the entire local community for generations to come.”
Budweiser Senior Brand Manager Christian Flouch, said:
“Over two seasons the ambition of Budweiser Club Futures has been to help clubs to help themselves, with the grant recipients using the funding to improve their facilities and make their club more financially sustainable. These funds help the clubs secure their place at the heart of communities and keep alive the beautiful game at the non-league and grassroots level across the UK.
We have now given sixteen clubs the financial boost they deserve following their successful applications for Club Futures grants and have also started to see some great results at each of the clubs.”
The other seven clubs winning £50,000 grants this season are:
Bedfont Sports FC – London
East Grinstead Town FC – South East
Parley Sports Club – South West
Bromsgrove Sporting FC – West Midlands
Basford United – East Midlands
Handsworth Junior Sporting Club – North East & Yorkshire
Linton Granta FC – East
The eight clubs awarded £50,000 grants in season one were:
AFC Blackpool – North West
Blyth Town FC – North East & Yorkshire (winner of Super Grant)
Evergreen FC – East
Raynes Park Vale – London
Bardon Hill FC – East Midlands
Pegasus Juniors FC – West Midlands
South Park FC – South East
Camelford FC – South West
For more information on The FA Cup with Budweiser visit www.facebook.com/budweiseruk and http://youtube.budweiser.co.uk
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Notes to Editors
About The FA Cup with Budweiser
The FA Cup with Budweiser is the world’s most exciting, authentic and democratic knockout competition. Every player, referee, manager and fan dreams of a place in the history of The FA Cup. And each season the competition gives clubs all over the country a potentially global stage. Financially, The FA Cup can provide a lifeline to clubs at every level. And for their fans, The FA Cup provides an endless supply of memorable moments, from seeing who your team will draw in the next round; travelling hundreds of miles to share in their celebration or commiseration; right through to that unforgettable walk down Wembley Way in May. The FA Cup overflows with human interest stories, and every year new heroes are born, new chapters written. It may have already occurred it may happen this year – or perhaps it’s yet to come: but The FA Cup will guarantee everyone has their day.
About Budweiser & Football
Budweiser and its parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) has a vast heritage in football including partnerships with the FIFA World Cup, the Copa América, a number of local leagues, tournaments across the world and, of course, The FA Cup. Budweiser has already demonstrated its commitment to Non-League football through its FA Cup partnership by sponsoring non-league Wembley FC.