FROME Town FC officially switched on their brand new floodlights for the first time, at a match against Weymouth FC on Wednesday 16th August.
A massive £30,000 fundraising appeal by the club and its supporters and a £29,000 grant from the Premier League, through the Football Stadia Improvement Fund (FSIF), has enabled the Robins to replace their existing lighting, originally installed in the 1980s, with four state-of-the-art new floodlights.
Jeremy Alderman, Frome Town FC Chairman, said, “We are ambitious at Frome and are doing our best to continually improve the facilities at the Club as well as providing an ever increasing standard of football and pushing our community work.
“These new floodlights, funded by our Supporters Club and the Football Stadia Improvement Fund, are one more step towards what we want to achieve and we are grateful for everyone’s support and contributions.”
Peter McCormick OBE, Chairman of the Football Stadia Improvement Fund, said, “I am very glad that a grant from the Premier League, delivered by the FSIF, has helped Frome Town FC to install brand new floodlights. This will help the club and other stadium users, including Frome Town Ladies, to benefit from more flexible training and matches.
“Projects such as this highlight the Premier League’s commitment to improving stadium infrastructure at lower levels of the game, with the goal of improving the experience for all – players, coaches and spectators alike.”
The new lamps are stronger and more reliable, providing much-needed flexibility for the club when it comes to scheduling training and fixtures. By enabling them to play into the evening and during the winter months safely, the club can provide loyal spectators with an improved match-day experience.
The new floodlights will not only benefit the club, but other users of the facility including: Frome Town Ladies FC; Frome Town Sports; Frome Town Robins and the Somerset FA.
The lighting upgrade has helped Frome Town to meet Grade C requirements of the FA National Ground Grading Criteria. Currently playing in the Premier Division of the Southern League, the club hopes that this will aid their future progress into the National League.
