Designed to build on the existing three year FA TOP Sport Football programme, the new scheme will provide schools with free training kits and training resources to encourage kids at all levels to get involved. The scheme will also increase out of hours learning, include a wider reach of teacher coaching, further developing the FA school-club link programme

Targeting 2,500 schools every 12 months, the Out of School Hours programme will seek to encourage more children to play football. The programme also supports the existing FA Mini Soccer initiative, which since its launch in 1999, has helped over 250,000 boys and girls in schools and football clubs across the country get involved in the game.

Walkers first became involved in football in 1978 with its sponsorship of the England U15’s squad.

Gary Lineker said: "Today’s launch reflects an ongoing commitment to getting kids involved in football at grass roots level. Not only does it give young people who previously may not have kicked a ball in their life the opportunity to get out there, but it’s great for schools and adults to get more involved in football and help the children of today to become the UK’s next sporting generation."

FA Director of Football Development Trevor Brooking said: "This programme will give children of all backgrounds and abilities the opportunity to play and enjoy football. It also provides much-needed resources for schools up and down the country, continuing the work of the TOPS programme over the past three years as a building-block for the long term health and success of our game."

Each selected school will receive an equipment package consisting of 10 footballs, a set of markers, a pump, a set of bibs and a ball bag. In addition, schools will also receive an FA Out of School Hours Learning (OSHL) football manual including curricular resources developed by practising teachers and a Local Education Authority officer.

The FA will provide full support to all coaches involved with the programme through its network of 160 Football Development Officers at its 43 County FA's and will also coordinate and run a minimum of 50 training courses to train 1,000 coaches per year across England.

Donna McIvor, National Education Development Manager at The FA said: "We are delighted to be working on what we are confident will be the next successful phase of Europe’s largest single sport education programme"

The institute of Youth Sport will be used to undertake the monitoring and evaluation of the programme to ensure maximum benefit to all schools involved.

About TOPS

The TOPS programme, launched in 2001, is a partnership between the FA and the Government Youth Sport Trust, which offers primary school children footballing opportunities as part of a school’s Physical Education curriculum and a club’s community programme. The scheme offers specific training and equipment to participating schools and clubs.

Over 12,000 schools and 15,000 teachers were involved in the TOPS programme and 76% of teachers stated that their children's basic skills had improved as a result of the programme.

Mini-soccer was introduced as part of the FA Charter for Quality programme in 1997 and is the FA’s approved introduction to football for children under 10.