The Football Trust was a Government funded body to improve the safety of sports stadiums in the United Kingdom.

It was set up by the Labour Government in 1975, with the assistance of the pools companies and the English Football League. Its original primary purpose (when it was known as the Football Grounds Improvement Trust) was to assist with the costs of implementing the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975.

In October 1990, Chancellor of the Exchequer John Major reduced tax on the pools competitions such as "spot the ball" to help fund the trust.[1]

It was chaired by Tom Pendry.

Club Grant (£)
Aston Villa 3,476,361
Blackburn Rovers 3,453,437
Chelsea 4,402,949
Coventry City 3,465,131
Derby County 4,641,487
Everton 2,465,325
Leeds Utd 2,583,373
Leicester City 2,712,447
Liverpool 3,362,691
Man Utd 3,692,619
Middlesbrough 4,210,311
Newcastle 3,418,275
Sheffield Wednesday 4,299,086
Sunderland 4,454,354
Arsenal 3,072,167
Bristol City 2,328,531
Nottingham Forest 2,267,384
Tottenham Hotspur 3,519,216
West Ham 4,068,663
Wembley 2,057,253

[2]

The Trust was wound up in 2000 and replaced with the Football Foundation.

References

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  1. ^ "Football Stadia After Taylor: Centre for the Sociology of Sport, Department of Sociology". University of Leicester.
  2. ^ parliament.uk