The Football Assocation is set to lose £1.6 billion in funding due to the sharp decline of participation in football at grass-roots level.

A report published last December showed that were 100,000 fewer people playing the sport than in April, with 1.84 million participating for at least 30 minutes every week, down from more than two million eight years ago.

The decline could suggest a change in people's attitudes towards football, with many unhappy with the facilities and constant price increases to local pitches.

And with the weather over the last few months making it very difficult for clubs up and down the country to play their fixtures, FA general secretary Alex Horne called the reduction "disappointing."

"It's naturally disappointing to learn that Sport England is cutting its funding to football especially at a time when the challenges faced by the grassroots of our game are so acute," said Horne.

"It is especially disappointing as Sport England agreed and began funding our joint plan only in August last year, and today's decision is based on measurement undertaken just two months later in October. It will not however deter the FA's continued extensive financial commitment to the grass roots of the game, of which this is only one element.

"Grassroots football is played on facilities almost exclusively owned and maintained by local authorities.

"A combination of severe weather, increased pitch hire costs and reduced maintenance spend has made this a very difficult time for clubs seeking to complete their fixtures and for individual players to value and enjoy regular football.

"This challenge - to ensure a much better provision of quality affordable grassroots facilities - is one we are determined to address."

At the start of the year, teams in Merseyside boycotted fixtures on a Sunday as a protest at the lack of funding from the football authorities and the government. This latest setback is not likely to go down well.

But Sport England warned the FA last year that unless there was an increase in participation, budgets would be cut.

Chief executive Jennie Price said: "I think this is a serious message to the FA. We've invested, over four years, £30m of public money in the FA so they have a real responsibility to spend it wisely and deliver results.

"Taking £1.6m away is a real sign they need to do something different and I think they will take it seriously."