State of the Game - Facilities

Sky Sports News looks at grassroots football... join in the debate here

Last updated: 11th April 2008  

State of the Game - Facilities

Rundown facilities are all too common

STATE OF THE GAME
Mondays on Sky Sports News
STUDIO DISCUSSION
Monday nights on Sky Sports News

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Derelict grounds and a lack of football pitches are nationwide problems and this week we highlight the difference between the attitudes to sporting facilities between here and abroad.

We will be talking to those involved in this country and comparing them to facilities in Holland, where football is a firm part of most communities.

There is also a special interview with Sir Trevor Brooking, the Football Association's head of development, who urged the Government to follow the lead of our European neighbours.

Every local community group in France and Holland, if you're putting in a new housing development, they will put in a quality leisure and sporting facility, which will include an indoor facility and an artifical pitch," he told us.

"Obviously if you're going to increase the number of dwellings around the community, what are all the families going to be doing - and they think a sport and leisure facility alongside that, is a must.

"At the moment right across the country, some youngsters and some youth communities are struggling to play any sport, so the Government have really got to buy into this - and obviously it will help their health programme as well."

Click on the video link to see Monday night's studio debate, when Paul Thorogood, chief executive of the Football Foundation and Steve Chittenden, Grass Roots Football Live Event Director, joined Dan Roan to discuss his findings.

State of the Game

Over the next six weeks Sky Sports News will be looking at all aspects of grassroots football in this country.

State Of The Game will be focussing on different areas of the national game, such as youth football, women's football, the future of the 11-a-side game and behaviour, from players, officials and supporters - and steps being taken to improve it.

Our chief news reporter Dan Roan has been out and about talking to the people involved and every Monday on Sky Sports News, he will be bringing you his latest findings.

He will also be going on-line right here on skysports.com after each of the six-part series to give you a more detailed account of the State of the Game.

Tune in to Sky Sports News on Monday to see the state of grassroots football facilities in this country and also let us know what YOU think about the State of the Game.

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Comments (77)

Peter Higgins says...

The state of football in this country is a reflection of how this country is going to the dogs.Young people get things to easy and think that they should have things handed to them on a plate and once they find out they have to work for them,then they lose interest.It does not help also when fascilities are taken away and not replaced(ie playing fields for business developements or for houseing.).The people at the top of the game are only interested in themselves and getting tickets and free trips on so called fact finding missions.Why when cup finals and international competitions come around can the real supporters never get tickets for these games.The state of the England team has come by years of neglect and avarage players being paid to much money and not interested in playing for their country.

Posted 08:49 16th May 2008

Dominick Colasanto says...

I think one of the main problems facing football in the UK as a whole is that todays youngsters are running out of dedicated areas to play the game. In Italy, France, Spain, Portugal & places like brazil & africa, kids especially play on the streets, on the beach while in the uk, you cannot do it safely, parks are being closed to make way for housing developments or spacees in parks are being minimised so that they can put in more trees n flowers. Plus it doesnt help that people who want to play on 5-a-side or full sized pitches have to pay an astronomical amount of money, in sum cases up to £10 per person. I believe that local governments (councils) should foot the bill & it it gets abused then they take action. In the long run, it would be money well spent as the youth of today will have something to do other than hang around shops & create trouble.

Posted 11:34 15th April 2008

Glen Hcks says...

I am a football coach with many varied experiences in the game who has, & is curently working with young people in Grassroots football from 3 years old to adult senior footballers, from beginner to elite players who attract pro clubs attention. I have coached thousands of hours at grassroots level. It is good that the F.A have decided to invest £200m solely into the development of grassroos football. It is also good that they have a plan of where the money should be spent: (1) Grow & retain participation (2) Raise standards & address abuse (3) Develop better players (4) Run the game effectively. All these areas don't only need money thrown teir way thy need thought & common sense to be applied. The biggest thing that needs to be changed in grassroots football is 'ADULTS ATTITUDES TOWARDS PLAYER LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT ESPECIALLY AT JUNIOR LEVEL!' The children need to be allowed expressive freedom & the pressures placed upon them by adults needs to be less if we are to create, world class football entertainers. I believe this can easily be achieved regardless to the surface they practice on (as long as it is safe!) Children that play usually do because they 'love' the game as most of us do. If this love is nurtured & the football environment remains fun, players & a more bautiful game will be produced! 'I BELIEVE IT IS MUCH EASIER TO DEVELOP A MORE ENTERTAINING BRAND OF FOOTALL THAT PRODUCES TOP CLASS PLAYERS, THAN PEOPLE BELIEVE IT TO BE. IT BEGINS WITH THINKING A BETTER WAY!'

Posted 19:57 10th April 2008

Rob Treloar says...

Investing in grass roots football can only be a good thing, football is not only a great game to paly but it also is a great way to bring people together who would otherwise never meet. its a fantastic opportunity for the goverment to invest in our countries future. But to only invest this money in sports complexs and not in the outdoor activity would be a bad decision. I know growing up for me one of the things that appealed most to me about playing sports was not just the palying aspect but also the coming home from a game covered in mud with that feeling that although we won or lost (we lost mostly) it was a prooper game.

Posted 19:09 10th April 2008

Jackie James says...

As the Secretary of Chapelfields Colts JFC a Charter Standard Club. I would like to ask the question, Where does all the money go that we, as a club, pay out to become a Charter Standard Club. The current costs are £120.00 for a coach/manager to get there level one, £12.00 for a FACRB Check, £20.00 for a first aid Course and £20.00 to attend the Child Protection workshop. When you times the above by 34 Coaches/Managers and the Commitee members that adds up to a lot of money coming from just one grassroots club. From the FA we get a Certificate, and are able to display the Charter Standard Logo on our website and communications. All this from a group of volunteers. Who just want the children to be able to play football in a safe enviroment. Can't some of that money be ploughed back into the clubs that have gained this status?

Posted 10:26 10th April 2008

Matthew Robinson says...

The football pitches in this country are terrible, i have only played on one excellent surface in all my life and thats probably out of say 20 to 30 pitches. The standard of pitches are poor and do not suit the technically gifted players. I myself am a defender and sometimes love a football game played in the soaking wet with big mud puddles around the pitch, however say i was a winger then i can imagine how difficult it must be to control a ball when it bobbles up or stops in a puddle almost all the time. Rugby and cricket are two other sports that i play and i tell you this the facilites are miles better than footballs, both clubs have changing rooms a well maintained pitch and a club house. This is a disgrace as football is meant to the number one national sport. England have in my eyes to many defenders as the pitches we play on are suited towards us. Im sure someone has mentioned the idea of playing in the summer, the quality of the pitches are much better due to the sun.

Posted 00:47 10th April 2008

Steven Russell-ingram says...

I watched my son play football for his school team and local village team from the age of six until he turned fifteen, I wasn't concerned with the facilities or quality of the pitches, these kids played in all weathers for the love of the game they all believed they could be the next Roy keane, David Beckham etc. As he got older the behaviour of the kids on the pitch and more worryingly the parents watching the games became increasingly violent and abusive. with absolutely no respect shown for competitors or referee's. I was saddened but relieved when my son made a choice between athletics and football and followed the athletics route. The contrast between competitors and supportors could not be more marked. Football has always been my first love and nothing beats the buzz of the big game. However I am pleased that I am no longer surrounded by the people following the sport. It would be wrong to say everyone in football is the same but unfortunately the wost elements of human behavour is very prevelent. Grass routes football needs more than better facilities it needs strong leadership from people who are allowed to set the standards and have the guts and teeth to enforce them

Posted 16:22 9th April 2008

Ian Davidoff says...

It is obviously a step in the right direction having more facilities and all up to higher standard. It will increase incentives to play the game. A nice fresh surface is much more appealing than one with ankle breaking holes everywhere. Kids will want to play more football. However it is not enough. If there was some way to get kids off their xbox 360s and away from Hollyoaks I think the chances of future success would be vastly improved.

Posted 18:59 8th April 2008

Jamie Murray says...

I have to agree with a number of the comments lambasting the FA. If the state of football in this country were a small nation the "government" would have been overthrown and replaced in some sort of coup long ago because of its innability to produce results for the people and constant mismangagment. Is it any surprise that our two greatest achievements in football in the past 20 years have been two semi-final defeats? I don't know how long it will take for the FA to get it through their thick skulls that there is a reason for countries like France's success internationally and the longer it takes them, the more appealing a 'coup' sounds.

Posted 18:17 8th April 2008

Adrian Johnson says...

The FA can't leave it to the local authorities, they are the ones who cut leisure 25-30 years ago, now they want to reinstate it.. This country wants to produce sportsmen and women, but we dont have the facilities, ie Olympics, any good facilities, what happened to Crystal Palace? 45 million is'nt enough to improve our current facilities.. Us coaches, mainly who are volunteers can do do what we can, we need help from the FA and local authority.. i play on the Marshes every week, that has'nt changed in 30 years, dressing rooms are cold, showers ok now and again, 25 players changing in 1 room! The clubs have their academies, but the kids from local clubs, remember without grass roots,the academies wont hav these kids coming through. How serious is this country on sport? Too much talking, time to deliver

Posted 17:13 8th April 2008

Simon Mines says...

I play for Holmer Green FC who play in the South Midland Premier Division, we play in the same league as the 61fc (luton) who your report just showed....last night we had an emergency meeting in order to determine weather we can afford to carry on at this level. The main reason for this being The FA , they do not invest enough at this level...they are also making it harder for teams to exist, in two seasons the FA are demanding that all grounds in our league have to have a 100 seated stand...where is that money going to come from ??

Posted 15:55 8th April 2008

James Marnane says...

England - We come from the best and biggest football nation in the world, you wound think we wound have a good standard of football pitches. The football Association said they had billions last year were is it all going. The FA do not enough for English football but get billions for it. COME ON ENGLAND!!!

Posted 11:37 8th April 2008

Alan Pownall says...

I can't believe we are going to waste all that money on grassroots level football, as a nation we are technically devoid of basic skills and should take a leaf out of the best team in the worlds book, that being brazil. They grow up playing football on the beaches of their country where they develop amazing control of a ball and effective skills as a result. It is incredibly hard to play the game on sand, so the ball needs to be played predominately just above the surface, which is where excellent ball control is developed and the art of good one touch football comes about. Just watch the way the Brazilians play. If we are going to develop future generations of our country¿s best young talent then surely we need to teach them basic ball control on the hardest of surfaces so that they can then produce it on easier surfaces like grass.

Posted 10:45 8th April 2008

David Fish says...

How can the FA want a world cup wining national team when we dont even have the facilities to help the grass roots players break through into the professional game?

Posted 09:58 8th April 2008

John Schwartz says...

I'm 23, from London, and I've lived in the United States for the past 7 years of my life. The pitches in America certainly are nicer -- but there are two catches. First, America is huge, so of course they'll have more good pitches. Second, nearly NONE of the public pitches have changing rooms or clubs. So while we're complaining about the state of the showers and the changing rooms and all, let's keep in mind that at least we get those things. Or perhaps we're not just trying to copy American's pitches -- but their spoiled nature as well...

Posted 09:55 8th April 2008

Kevin Blakeman says...

i have been listening to your debate with much interest. i accept that the state of our facilities is a disgrace, and i suffered along with the rest during my playing days. however the debate misses the point completely. if the inquest is about our failure to produce world beating players then i would suggest that you ask the F.A why they refuse to ask the brazilians, with their impoverished infrastructure (probably worst than ours) and dry dirt pitches, how they do it, rather than compare our facilities to pristeen dutch junoir pitches. i think you will find that it is something to do with technique rather than whether the showers are hot! After all, how many times have the dutch won the world cup? i am not a clever person,but if i wanted to improve at anything i would see who does it best, then ask them for help. isn't that that just common sense? i would be very interested in hearing your, or the F.A's comments on my observations Regards Kevin

Posted 09:51 8th April 2008

Chris Macleod says...

I can't believe the rubbish the Football Association come out with, they say they want the best coaches possible at grassroots level, then why aren't my Scottish FA badges recognised? I got a phone call yesterday telling me I can not coach at ANY Level because my badges aren't recognised. Well I am qualified enough to coach at Rangers, Celtic and any professional club in Scotland with my Youth coaches licence. Why won't the FA allow me to coach at an amateur level in England? It is absurd!

Posted 09:10 8th April 2008

Matt Naylor says...

The FA and the Premier League Association have decreased their investment in grassroots football since 2000 by £5 million each, 2 years ago the government celebrated the fact that £200 million would be invested into grassroots football over the next 10 years however there has been little sign of this investment. If we take Holland as an example of how it's done properly, i.e. the local council are responsible by law for the upkeep of their football pitches and sports centres and must provide a suitable and adequate facility. By comparison given how much money our Premier League generates, the state of our local facilities and grassroots football is an embarrassment.

Posted 08:19 8th April 2008

Ron Norris says...

To Tony Burton, who wrote, "I showed up and they had one ball for the whole group, how can you teach young players to be comfortable on the ball when they don't have one to practice with?" I coached for 30 years in the USA. My players had to acquire their own ball. If they were too poor, I supplied it. Whining about 'Football Welfare' doesn't cut it'. Too many people in this world are feeding at the public trough. Get off your rear-ends and do something.

Posted 02:33 8th April 2008

Craig Sharpe says...

Hi there, i am 16 and ive been playing football since i was 4. Thats 12 years of graft for the love of the game. And it's not just pitches and facilities its scouts, ive been playing to a high quality all this time and only had one scout to a game because Birmingham City, Aston Villa, WBA and Wolves etc can't send out scouts. That is pathetic im disgusted that my talent has gone to waste and many people ive played against they deserve to be in an academy with their talents. The pitches are poor and need maintenance and care which we cant get. But the only way we find quality and talent is by sending out scouts not to Spain Africa and others but the local areas and leagues to pick up on the English talent there is. The africans do not play on high standard pitches, they dont even have grass and look how some turn out, Muntari, Kanu, Okocha, Eto'o. So send some to the local leagues and watch us play. PLEASE READ THIS

Posted 22:11 7th April 2008

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