grassroots football

It’s the political hot potato that has seen government ministers threaten legal intervention at the FA. Grassroots football in England is currently in a state of flux. After decades of financial neglect, the lower echelons of the game are struggling to make the most basic of ends meet. But what’s really happening beyond the hyperbole and political wrangling? The only...

There’s a long and well-established link between the state of grassroots football in England and the national team. When there’s a steady flow of talent coming through the lower echelons of the game, the future is usually bright for the nation’s Three Lions. But when things aren’t going so well, the domestic arm of elite football tends to suffer. So...

The 2018 World Cup Finals in Russia were meant to be the most controversial yet. Warnings of violence between fans, political turmoil between the host nation and the rest of the world, and concerns about stadia all proved to be a waste of time. Russia 2018 was a triumph, in every way a World Cup Finals can be. We saw...

All of the greatest footballers the game has ever produced started on the road to success with something very simple — a love of the game. Before Lionel Messi signed his first professional contract, he simply loved to play the beautiful game. Yet all too often, this love and passion for football is superseded by other factors. For some, a...

Regardless of what you think about England’s performances in the 2018 World Cup, there’s no doubt that this run is capturing the imagination of the country. Politicians are talking about the team in Parliament, airline captains are announcing results at 30,000 feet and throngs of fans are enjoying beer baths in open-air “World Cup zones”. There’s magic in the air...

It’s hard to read anything about grassroots football these days without hearing about the hardship that local clubs, associations and players are being forced to endure. There’s more money in the game than ever before, yet there are still thousands of young players being forced to play on dangerously worn pitches every weekend. After several years of public pressure, the...

Professional Players and Funding Form a Powerful Force for Good in Grassroots Football The link between the elite of English football and the grassroots game is well established — and it’s more important than ever. But strangely, it often seems like the people running English football simply don’t understand this. There’s far more to consider than just the next crop...

European football’s showpiece event isn’t just about the game’s elite; it’s about the grassroots game too. While the game’s richest and most talented players are given the ultimate stage on which to shine, the people who play the game on playing fields and municipal pitches also get their day in the sun. UEFA’s Equal Game initiative is all about giving...

After decades of neglect and decline, the FA started taking grassroots football a lot more seriously a few years ago. After threats of legislation and fierce criticism from high-profile players and coaches, it seemed the game’s original governing body had finally taken notice. While there have been some very laudable grassroots initiatives over the last five years or so, the...

After several years of relative inactivity in grassroots football, the government, the FA and various governing bodies are finally taking action to halt the decline in participation levels. A combination of poor facilities, a lack of pitches and a nationwide dearth of coaches has forced many young people away from the game over the last 20 or 30 years. But...