Euxton Villa have been a fixture in the Lancashire community since their foundation 118 years ago.
Both current Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Sam Johnstone and former Everton and West Ham United defender David Unsworth started their careers at the club, whose men's team plays in the North West Counties League, Step 5 of the English football pyramid.
Funded by the Premier League and the Football Foundation, recent investment at Euxton Villa has helped facilitate a ground transformation that welcomes new outfits to share the club's facilities.
A grant of £750,000 from the Football Foundation, co-funded by the Premier League, The FA and UK Government, helped Euxton to install an all-weather 3G pitch.
Additional funding of £212,000 from the Premier League Stadium Fund has been used towards the new pitch, covered spectator accommodation and new energy-efficient LED floodlights, which use on average 50 per cent of the energy required by older systems.
"The funding we've received from the Premier League and the Football Foundation has transformed our football club," Euxton Villa Chief Executive Officer Graham Keyte explains. "We were a grassroots football club and now we’re a small business. We've had to become more commercially aware.
"We now have a fantastic facility and it has given us an opportunity to bring in clubs from across the local community to share in the benefits of this tremendous pitch.
"We have more than 40 teams training and playing here now, including our own junior sides and clubs from across the community. That includes boys, girls, adults, veterans and a pan-disability side which we're very proud of. We're also delighted to share our home ground with Chorley Women in the FA Women’s National League."
Unsworth, whose 38 goals in 364 Premier League appearances make him the second-highest scoring defender behind John Terry, added: "This is a really special club to me. Everything started out here for me. I was scouted here by Everton when I was playing for the Under-14s. I went on to have a trial and got signed two weeks later.
"When I played here [in the early 1990s], the pavilion was a shed and the pitch was a bit of a mud bath, so the facilities now look very different. This 3G pitch wasn't here but I wish it was!
"There's always been a great feel around the club and good people in charge though, so that tradition has carried on and kept it strong throughout the decades.
"This pitch offers a fantastic base and set-up for the community and throughout the North West region. You’ve got the floodlights which mean people can be playing football seven days a week, until nine or 10 every night, in a really safe environment and developing their skills.
"Funding for the football pyramid from the Premier League is crucial. This doesn't happen without it. It's not just here at Euxton, it's all around the country, giving opportunities for young boys and girls."
What is Non-League Day?
Non-League Day, which began in 2010, is an annual celebration of the football pyramid. It encourages as many fans as possible to support their local non-league sides on a weekend of international football when there is no Premier League or Championship action.
Fans in England and Wales can find a fixture near their postcode by clicking here.
The Premier League has provided £23.6 million over four years to the National League and its 72 clubs. Through the Premier League Stadium Fund, more than £207m in grants has been awarded to over 1,000 men’s and women’s clubs throughout the English Football League, National League and football pyramid.
