An award to help revamp football pitches in Hatfield will help all teams, clubs and players in the town according to Hatfield Town chairman John Shearer.

The Football Foundation has awarded the Stags funding to upgrade the facilities at Birchwood Leisure Centre.

The foundation is the UK’s largest sports charity and exists to improve the experience of playing football for everyone, by championing fair access to quality facilities.

This grant will enable the Herts Senior County League Premier Division club the chance to purchase new goals so more pitches can be added at the centre.

And the addition of new playing surfaces will represent a significant improvement on the existing six already located at Birchwood, allowing more football to be played in the town.

Shearer said: "We are not the only club who will benefit and whatever we can do as a club to support everyone in our community we will do.

"More pitches means more football opportunities for people in the town."

Robert Sullivan, the chief executive of the Football Foundation, said: "This grant award to Hatfield Town Football Club to purchase goals for more pitches is what we want to hear. It's great news for the community.

“It will support people’s ability to play our national game locally and therefore help unlock football’s many benefits to physical and mental wellbeing.

"That’s why we’re committed to transforming the face of grassroots football facilities in this country.

“The Football Foundation is working closely with our partners, the Premier League, the FA, government and Sport England, support facility development projects like this across the country over the next decade to transform our grassroots game and unlock the power of pitches.”