Hundon Football Club set for first home match in four years after receiving grant from Premier League, FA and Government’s Football Foundation to build new changing facilities

After they were ‘on the brink of folding’ Hundon FC are gearing up to host their first match in four years on September 14 after they received a grant of £182,700 from the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation to build new changing facilities.

The facilities will represent a significant improvement on the previous ones, which were deemed as unsafe and forced Hundon to play their matches over at Clare Town.

The grant comes alongside an additional £86,000 from partner organisations including: Hundon Parish Council, West Suffolk Council, Haverbury Housing Partnership and many private donations.

Hundon FC’s vice chair Anne Cutts said: “It’s going to be absolutely fantastic. It’s been really tough to keep two teams running when we haven’t had the facilities for them, so to have the teams playing back in the village will be fantastic.

“It will be a facility for the whole village, not just for the football club.

“We were on the brink of folding. Financially we had to pay for facilities elsewhere, so we were fund-raising just to keep the club going because it was costing us money to pay to hire pitches.”

The club will hold an official opening on September 14, which will constitute of viewing the new facilities, free food and drink, a bouncy castle for children and Hundon’s Cambridgeshire County League Senior A match against Eaton Socon Reserves (3pm).

The improved facilities will also result in the restart of junior and walking football at the club, as well as the continuation of the running of three senior sides, including a veteran’s team.

Suffolk FA’s development manager, Matt Stebbings, said: “It is great to see the Hundon changing facility project get over the line. The whole project team have worked tirelessly for a number of years in order to get this fantastic facility built. The club and the project team should be proud of the long hours, funding applications, project meetings they have been through to ensure this facility is open.

“A big thank you to the Football Foundation for their support in making sure the project received significant investment.

“The facility will now future proof the club with youth and adult football provision across all three footballing pathways (male, female and disability) with room to grow the club for years to come.”