Football Association announces record £260m grassroots football investment

The Football Association has announced that it will invest a record £260m in grassroots football over the next four years.

An additional multi-million pound investment supported by the government will also be put in place across 30 cities in the United Kingdom.

The FA hopes that the National Game Strategy for Participation and Development will boost participation figures, develop better players, provide improved training facilities and make the sport more representative of the communities that it serves.

"There are challenges facing grassroots football both in terms of facilities and coaching. Today we have set out how we will tackle the challenges head-on," said FA chief executive Martin Glenn.

"We have identified four key areas in which we have committed to investing £260m over the next four years – facilities, coaching, participation and developing the football workforce. Our goals are ambitious, but achievable."

The National Game Strategy for Participation and Development was launched in Lancashire on Wednesday.