grassroots

Grassroots referees in England have suffered a torrid time in recent years. Rising levels of verbal and physical abuse have led to thousands of FA referees leaving the game for good. And despite the relaunch of the Respect campaign, England’s match officials came perilously close to a nationwide strike last year. A major advertising campaign and a new, zero-tolerance approach...

Switch on to Premier League football, and there’s a good chance that, sooner or later, you’ll see an example of unprofessional behaviour from the game’s big stars. Unfortunately, we’re now conditioned to accept this as part of the game, but this definitely shouldn’t be the case. The highest paid athletes in the UK are swearing, intimidating officials and opposition players...

Think McDonald’s, and images of obese children, greasy fries and unsightly litter probably pop into your head. However, as the fast food giant tries desperately to change its image, grassroots football in the UK has been an unlikely beneficiary. After a successful 12-year partnership with the UK’s governing bodies, McDonald’s has announced that it is to extend its sponsorship commitments...