Hambledon Football Club has received a cheque for £99,999 from the Football Foundation at a presentation attended by officials, villagers and local MP Jeremy Hunt.
The presentation was made to Matt Kiley, club secretary, who also gratefully received another cheque of £1,000 from the Hambledon Community Fund.
The two grants have helped Hambledon FC take a significant step forward in realising its dream of replacing its delapidated “hut” with a modern club house. Both recognise the efforts the club has made in its own fund raising over the last few years. Planning permission has already been granted for the new facilities and it is hoped work can start in the New Year.
The Football Foundation grant was made under its “Grow The Game” scheme. The limited facilities at Hambledon’s Badger Park ground restricted the club’s development, with some younger players prefering to play elsewhere and the club having no prospect of promotion to higher leagues until improvements were made. It is hoped that the new clubhouse will be ready for the 2013-14 season.