JON Dutton, the Manchester FA's chief executive, is optimistic that parks football will bounce back, aided by the city council and organisations such as the Football Foundation, Britain's largest sports charity.

The number of leagues and clubs affiliated to the county association has plummeted in recent years, but now, says Dutton, there are signs that decline has been halted.

Dutton said: "For the first time in years, our membership of adult male teams rose last season and so there's reason to hope the worst is now behind us.

"While many of our leagues have sadly fallen by the wayside, several of those which remain are actually getting bigger and that has to be encouraging.

"At the same time, we're making significant progress in terms of facilities.

"There has been '10m of new investment in grassroots football here over the last two years and three projects are worth highlighting. Work on the '4.7m Salford Sports Village, to which the Manchester FA is due to re-locate in January, is in progress and once this is finished we hope to use it to reintroduce a Salford men's league.

"There are also plans to spend more than '2m on upgrading the facilities Hough End Playing Fields and a further '1m-plus at Turn Moss in Stretford.

"We acknowledge there has been a downturn, but these new developments give us reason to feel positive about the future."

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