THE government confirmed its new £300 million recovery package for major spectator sports in England today, but set aside only £25m for grassroots facilities — funds which did not appear to extend beyond football.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Budget states that the recovery package, likely to be paid out as a mix of loans and grants, is designed to help “major spectator sports in England, supporting clubs and governing bodies.”

Under the section of the Budget titled Celebrating the United Kingdom – measures meant to reflect “the shared values, culture and institutions that make up the union” – there is listed “an investment of £25m in UK grassroots community sports facilities, supporting the future of grassroots football.”