Radcliffe FC visited by Richard Holden, Chairman of Conservatives

Tory chairman Richard Holden went to see Radcliffe FC play Ashton United on Saturday, March 23, as part of a tour around the North West. 

He attended the match with Bury North MP James Daly. Radcliffe is currently in the Bury South constituency, but parts of it could change to become part of Bury North. 

Mr Holden spoke about the Government's Community Ownership Fund, and the impact they say it has had on the area. 

Radcliffe recently completed the building of a new 3G pitch, funded with £1.8 million from the Premier League, The FA and government’s Football Foundation, plus a further £600,000 from the local authority. 

Mr Holden said: "The Community Ownership Fund has been a really big issue for this area, especially because of James' historic work with Bury Football Club and getting that over the line. 

"Bury was the first big outlier of these larger Community Ownership Fund things because they need more money than had been given to smaller funds previously. 

The MPs speaking with Paul Hilton, Radcliffe FC chairman (Image: Conservatives)

"Coming up today was just to see what the guys, Paul and the team behind Radcliffe Borough, what they are looking to do now with Radcliffe Cricket Club, and what they can do for the future of that. 

"Their plans are great, in terms of wanting to really get that place re-energised as well, and also look at the future of netball stuff there as well. It's just so nice to see that positivity on a local level." 

Read more: 'Truly transformative': £2.4m 'state-of-the-art' 3G football pitch completed 

Read more: Bury welcomes £1.8m investment for grassroots facilities

He also spoke about the new Independent Football Regulator and what it will mean for clubs lower down the football pyramid, such as Radcliffe. 

He said: "Protecting clubs from unscrupulous ownership, that's one side of it. 

"On the other side is that bigger long term thing on that deal between the EFL, which represents smaller clubs, versus the Premier League. 

Watching the match (Image: Conservatives)

"We want it to generously support the rest of the entire football pyramid, including clubs like Radcliffe and Bury, so that we don't see in the future as many financial pressures on them. 

"And we want to see that movement up and down, which is exactly what fans want to see, clubs being able to move up and down." 

Mr Holden added: "Some big corporate interests have got this fixed idea that they don't really want that element of jeopardy in it, but I think it is absolutely essential for English football. 

"The fanbases want to see that too, that there is a potential some day for clubs like Radcliffe or Bury to move up the football table, theoretically all the way to the top, and it is important that that is maintained. 

"I say that as somebody who grew up in East Lancashire as a Blackburn fan, and saw their club once win the Premier League, but also at other points being several leagues below."