As well as opening a state-of-the-art new pavilion at one of the town’s major hubs at Dip Farm, Dyke also toured two other sites that are transforming the way football is being played in the local area.
Local youngsters enjoy the new facilities at Dip Farm in Lowestoft
The region received a combined sum of over £1m from The FA and the Premier League to improve the state of pitches and amenities for the grassroots game.
And the brand new 3G floodlit pitches at Barnard's Centre Point and at Kirkley & Pakefield Community Sports and Social Club reflect some of the approaches now being taken to tackle the quality of facilities at grassroots level and ensure the popularity and levels of participation in the game is maintained and improved.
Dyke was joined by local former England captain Terry Butcher and ex-Norwich City, Blackburn Rovers and Chelsea star Chris Sutton, who also took in an FA Skills coaching session, which took place at the refurbished Dip Farm Playing Fields.
The Skills programme, administered nationally by 158 qualified coaches, has already coached over 6m youngsters across the country and has been commended for putting an emphasis on fun whilst building technique and for aiding the development of transferable life-skills such as team building and confidence.
"I’m delighted that The FA has been able to play its part in making these tremendous new facilities at Dip Farm a reality and I commend all the partners that have come together to make this happen," said Dyke.
"Through the Football Foundation, The FA has helped to develop 1700 sites like this across the country demonstrating our commitment to securing the foundations of grassroots football.
“The FA has been able to play its part in making these tremendous new facilities at Dip Farm a reality.”
Greg Dyke
"And it is great to see an FA Skills session taking place because encouraging participation from an early age and providing adequate facilities, as demonstrated here at Dip Farm, are the heartbeat of the National Game."
Funded by The FA, Premier League and the Government, via Sport England, the Premier League and The FA Facilities Fund is delivered by the Football Foundation, the country’s largest sports charity.
Since it was launched in 2000, the Foundation has awarded around 12,000 grants worth more than £490m towards improving grassroots sport, which it has used to attract additional partnership funding of over £651m – totalling over £1bn of investment into the grassroots game.
