As Brazil’s World Cup looms large, an expectant nation once again dreams of glory. However, deep down in their downtrodden hearts, fans of the England team know that they don’t have a realistic chance of achieving glory this time around. In fact, the state of the national game doesn’t bode well for at least the next three World Cups. FA...

In the midst of national protests, mass demonstrations on public pitches up and down the country and large-scale boycotts of local leagues, grassroots football in the UK may have found some much-needed support - from some legends of the game. Dilapidated club facilities, sodden pitches and sharply increasing pitch fees are keeping many children and amateurs away from the community...

As transfer fees in the Premier League’s latest transfer window soar above £100 million once again, grassroots football throughout England seems to be struggling more than ever. Despite pledging 5 percent of its income to the grassroots game, the Premier League’s contribution has fallen to less the one percent in recent years. Moreover, the FA and central government have almost...

Mike Antoniades has written a series of articles especially for The Soccer Store on “How to Develop Football speed?” Without doubt, one of the most important factors in modern football and a big concern among today's players and coaches is how to improve Speed, quickness and explosiveness. What are the four components of football speed: Quickness Quickness is any explosive...

Dr Andy Allford from Kings College London and former Speed and Agility coach for GB Badminton has written us an article on agility.  Andy has also worked with MK Dons FC in the past. Search for ‘Agility Training’ in google and you may be surprised what the search engine throws up! It won’t surprise me that the most popular hits relate to...

When you’re teaching kids football, you have a responsibility as their coach to install in them a good sportsman’s attitude and a sense of playing fair. However, when a difficult situation arises it can be hard to know how to deal with it, because the last thing you want is to upset your team! Here are some common problems you...

The offside rule is possibly one of the most difficult to understand rules in football, mainly because it is never described simply, so understanding it can be intimidating to kids. However, if you’re a coach there will be a point where you’ll have to try your best to make your young team understand – so here’s a simple guide to...

Mike Antoniades has written a series of articles for The Soccer Store on “How to Develop Football speed?” How Do You Develop Football Speed? Part One. Without doubt, one of the most important factors in modern football and a big concern among today's players and coaches is how to improve Speed, quickness and explosiveness. No matter what your starting point...

What are scouts looking for from young players on a Sunday morning? Which attributes, personality traits and raw skills set kids on the road to footballing stardom? Given the money the top footballers now earn, it is hard to imagine that the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale once plied their trade in school teams and in...

We take a look at Professional Footballers Pre-Match preparation. Use our guide to get yourself physically and mentally prepared for your next big game. There was a time when professional footballers would enjoy a pre-match pint of Guinness in the local before a match. However, the increasingly scientific approach to the game has led to some significant changes to a...