A new funding scheme has been launched to aid the retention of adult male teams within grassroots football clubs.

The £1m Retain the Game fund will be distributed via the Football Foundation and has been created to tackle a decrease in the number of adult male FA-affiliated grassroots league teams in England.

Introduced this month, the programme will offer existing grassroots football clubs grants to continue offering playing opportunities in organised football.

The funding is designed to cover core costs, such as matchday and training facility hire as well as first aid training. Clubs will also be given the opportunity to acquire Nike kit and equipment through a bespoke voucher.

Efforts to reverse the decline in adult male league football follows the recent Grow the Game funding window for 2018, which made £1.5m available for grassroots clubs looking to create new women and girls or disability football teams. Estimates show that the investment will create around 1,000 new female and disability teams in the grassroots game.

Aidy Boothroyd, England Under-21s manager, said: “Adult male grassroots football is a fundamental part of the game and financial support provided through this scheme will have a fantastic impact in ensuring high levels of continued participation across the country."