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F.A policy alienates grass roots level footballers
Published by Ian John on February 15, 2009
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The news this week that two of Merseyside’s junior football leagues are threatening to break away from years of tradition and turn their back on the Football Association, seems to be a fairly damning verdict on the level of support afforded to the grass roots of the game in the U.K from the sports governing body.
Steve O’Reilly and Mick McNally both heads of two distinguished F.A affiliated youth football leagues in Liverpool, are heading a campaign to encourage other leagues to breakaway from the F.A and join their fledgling rebellion. They argue that the thousands of pounds the leagues pay each year to the F.A, in the form of fines, registrations, administration fees and training course charges are not pumped back into the local coffers and do not serve in the best interests of the many young players seeking to play the game.
They argue the salary of £6m a year paid to current England head coach is funded by the grass roots and their aim is to ensure that the money pumped into the game from grass roots level, is administered fairly amongst those who need it the most, rather than line the pockets of the already vastly wealthy.
A meeting has been planned for the 28th February, at which Liverpool County F.A will condemn the plan, stating that rebel clubs will not only struggle to find referees and be banned from attending F.A run competitions, but that also public liability insurance may be infringed upon if the rebels proceed with their plans.
This is a typically dogmatic view which is typical of the narrow minded bigotry inherent in the F.A when it comes to junior level soccer and totally fails to address the issue of an inequality of funding, which given the current F.A policy seems to ensure that Fabio Capello gets his penthouse in Mayfair, an Aston Martin and free first class travel around the world, while the kids in Netherton who contribute towards it, have to do with broken showers, and facilities that are at best basic, at worst dangerous. Safe in the knowledge that should they get a booking, and 4000 of them did last season, it is £8 a time straight into the F.A’s coffers, presumably to pay for that Mayfair penthouse.
While the rebels ideology may smack of Derek Hatton, we can only applaud that two small leagues have stood up to the stranglehold the F.A have over them. The Football Association has a remit to promote and foster the game in England at all levels. It therefore seems scandalous that it has taken two small local leagues to stand up to this inequality and rather than come down on the rebellion citing the lack of insurance and lack of competitions, referees and pointing out in effect, that the rebel leagues will not be able to run legally, the F.A would be far better off seeking a resolution to the inequity, rather than nurturing the image of them as somewhat as a dictatorship who rules, it seems for the benefit of the wealthy, rather than promoting equality and opportunity for all and that should be true regardless of whether you reside in the leafy suburbs of London, or the mean streets of Liverpool.
Picture Credits **Pedrosales** Flickr.com
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Nabyl Charania on Sun, 15th Feb 2009 6:27 pm
£8 for a booking! no wonder the FA can afford to pay Capello that much! England needs to foster their grassroots players and hope that they can build a team that can actually contend on a global level.