Cllr. Cherilyn Williams of Cornwall County Council had the honour of switching Sticker AFC’s brand new floodlights on for the very first time yesterday (Monday 9 October), thanks to a grant from the Premier League, through the Football Stadia Improvement Fund (FSIF) – the largest funders of non-league football in the country. 

The funding has enabled Sticker AFC to install the state-of-the-art new lighting system, which will help the club to offer more flexible training to their players in a safer environment. The club, which can trace its roots back to 1911, is delighted with the outcome of their stadium upgrade.

Sticker AFC was promoted to the South West Peninsula League Premier Division ahead of the 2017/18 season. This meant that the installation of the new floodlights was required to meet the FA National Ground Grading Criteria’s standards. The upgrade has helped the club’s home ground to meet the Grade G requirements for their new Step 6 position. 

The project was made possible by a £56,077 grant from the Premier League, which is delivered through the Football Stadia Improvement Fund – the sister organisation of the Football Foundation. 

The project takes the total Premier League funding invested in Sticker AFC, through the FSIF, to £71,644. This follows two previous grants of £4,064 in 2011 and £11,503 in 2014, which also helped to improve the standard of the club’s stadium. 

Funded with £6.5m each year from the Premier League, the FSIF – the sister organisation of the Football Foundation – is the country’s largest provider of grants towards projects that help improve the comfort and safety of lower league football grounds in both the professional and amateur game. These improvements range from new football stands and turnstiles to floodlighting and improved provision for disabled supporters. 

Keith Donnithorne, Chairman of Sticker AFC, said: “The grant from the FSIF has enabled our small village club to play at a level that would not have been possible without their considerable financial assistance.” 

Peter McCormick OBE, Chairman of the Football Stadia Improvement Fund, said: “It is great news that Sticker AFC have been able to install new floodlights, thanks to a grant from the Premier League through the FSIF. The new lighting will give the club better security and flexibility for matches and training. 

“The FSIF delivers investment from the Premier League to projects for improving stadia infrastructure at non-league clubs. This project is an excellent example of the work the Premier League’s money does. Well done to Sticker AFC for their efforts throughout the project.”