TORQUAY UNITED JOINS THE NATIONAL LOTTERY FOOTBALL WEEKENDS
Torquay United are delighted to be a part of The National Lottery Football Weekends, where over 100,000 people across the UK will get the chance to go and watch their local football club for free in a celebration of non-league football.
Torquay United fans know full well how damaging the pandemic has been to clubs like ours. At the height of the pandemic where there was no gate revenue, and an unprecedented halt in the football calendar, there were serious fears about the future of some football clubs within our league.
Stepping in to assist clubs, who are vital to their local community, in October 2020 the National Lottery provided over £12.5 million to support non-league clubs in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and has also supported grassroots and community football with £200 million in funding since 1995.
With an exciting future to look forward to as many feel more connected than ever to their local club, The National Lottery Football Weekends are here with an exclusive ticket offer as a thank you to players who helped keep clubs alive.
The National Lottery Football Weekends will take place on three weekends across March and April.
Our game will be against Weymouth on Saturday 26th March 3pm KO, and tickets will go on sale from this weekend.
As part of this offer, we want to welcome as many people as possible to Plainmoor to celebrate the unique football heritage of the UK and introduce new supporters to non-league football.
This special ‘Buy One Get One Free’ ticket offer will also be available to National Lottery Players to take someone – potentially for the very first time – to a game at any of the 231 participating clubs in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Supporters of the campaign include UK-wide fan favourite Ally McCoist and former England international Karen Carney, along with the four Home Nation FAs. The National Lottery is also working in partnership with Non-League Day, a campaign set up in 2010 by fan James Doe to encourage supporters of clubs playing at the highest levels of the game to support their local non-league club and recognise the value of local clubs within their community.
Manager Gary Johnson said:
“This campaign is an extremely exciting opportunity to bolster an already fast-growing enthusiasm for non-league football, and following a much-needed injection of support during the pandemic, we are delighted that through the National Lottery Football Weekends, we are able to give back to the people that matter the most – the fans.
“The National Lottery and National Lottery players play a vital role in supporting our national game, but especially at non-league and grassroots level. Torquay United prides itself on being a club that is closely connected with the local community, and it is thanks to the emergency funding, that ensured the survival of clubs in our League, at a time where things looked bleak, that we are able to continue delivering the outreach projects that make a real difference to our fans and the wider community.”
To find out more about The National Lottery Football Weekend and how to claim your free ticket visit HERE. Terms and conditions apply.