A FOOTBALL club has received a £800,205 windfall.

The money has come from the Football Foundation, which will underwrite expansion plans for Teesside Athletic FC, based in Redcar, east Cleveland.

Plans will include a pavilion, changing rooms and social areas and pitches.

The scheme was backed by Middlesbrough skipper Gareth Southgate who said: said: "As an ambassador for the Football Foundation, I know what great work they have already done in the area and, alongside Boro's excellent Football in the Community scheme, a new generation of players in Teesside are getting the best possible start in the game.

"This latest project is set to lead the development of football in and around Redcar."

A total of £730,928 of the money is part of a £9.4m Community Club funding package developed by Sport England, the Government and the Football Association.

Its aim is to forge stronger links between the country's leading junior football clubs and their local communities.

The foundation has also provided a further £69,277 funding to help expand opportunities to play football among young people in the area. It is expected that membership of players of all ages and abilities will double, with more than 500 players using the site every week.

Links will also be developed with schools, councils and North Riding County FA to ensure the long-term sustainability of the project.

Chief executive of Sport England Roger Draper said: "The facility is key to the local development of football and we are committed to making sure that the club continues to provide access for the community.

"We are pleased to support this investment through the Football Foundation, which will have a positive effect on the grassroots development of the sport."