Chancellor’s £300m summer boost

SUMMER sport is set to be boosted by £300million from the Government, Chancellor Rishi Sunak will announce in his budget tomorrow.

Cricket is set to be the biggest beneficiary reportedly, with tens of millions put into the sport’s coffers in the form of loans and grants. Tennis and horse racing are also set to be among the leading recipients from the latest round of funding, which is effectively an extension of the £300m Sport Winter Survival Package unveiled in November.

Sunak (right) said: “As a huge cricket fan, I know there’s nothing that says summer more than watching your favourite team. I can’t wait for sports grounds to be filled with fans again. This £300m will help make that a reality.”

The ECB had warned of severe cuts because of a drastic drop in income, but tomorrow’s cash boost is expected to ease that burden. An ECB spokesperson said: “We welcome the Government’s intention to extend the support given to winter sports so that cricket and other summer sports are given a financial safety net.”

The latest round of funding is aimed at helping professional clubs, counties and sporting bodies to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing lack of spectators. It is thought some of the money will be used in the various sports to help pave the way for the planned return of fans at stadiums, venues and race tracks as the Government prepares to start lifting lockdown measures.

The package covers England only, but separate funding to summer sports will be provided by the Scottish Government to the tune of £29m, £18m from the Welsh Government and a further £10m in Northern Ireland.