I'm over 60 and a lot of people I know are hovering around that age but we are far more vocal than most of the younger ones near us.
Yeah you're right Do some younger ones consider it uncool to make any noise at all I do think that grouping together in standing areas would encourage them though
I have made the point about Holland before. Pitches in the sort of small ones which have nothing hete hav pitches with floodlights and changing faciliies. The junior football club I was involved with used to play games against a Dutch club ever year. The reason they came here was they weren't allowed to play 11 a side at tne younger ages. Consequently we beat them at under 10s, 11, 12s, 13, mainly because our boys were stronger and more physical. However under 14s. 15s and 16s was a different matter and their skills on the ball came into it and we lost more than we won. Their kids tended to play midweek, something made possible by all those facilities we don't have,and the best players spent weekends with clubs. Parents weren't allowed to watch st the clubs (a good idea as anyone who has been involved with junior football would agree) and the likes of Feyenoord, had the younger ones who dtill played on small sized pitches, playing against teams 2 years older,another thing not allowed here. It is a similar thing in Germany, more facilities, more coaches at all levels etc... Our lack of success in comparion has nothing to do with popualtions, a silly argumrnt as Holland's is a lot smaller than ours but keeps turning out better national teams, or to do with immigrants as the same rules apply to everyone and we get more immigrants anyway. It is far more to do with the points mentioned abovr, especially coaches and facilities.
But still, it's not like we don't have good players. We DO have good players, they compete well enough at club level, they just seem to let us down at international level. We could have more good players, but we already have enough to put together an excellent 23 man international squad.
A number of commentators and players have made a good point. The likes of Germany come up a system and pick the players best suited to the system. Here we decide one player is the bees knees and pick him and then build a team around them. It happened with Gazza, then Rooney was the answer. Alf Ramsey came up with a system and chose the players. Liverpool were the Champions but only 1 Liverpool player started the final. There were 3 from lowly West Ham, 1 from Huddersfield and another from Fulham and one who was with Blackpool when selected. And a keeper from Leicester. At any other time Jimmy Greaves would have been an automatic choice but it worked without him and he didn't get back in after his injury.His replacement became the only player to score a World Cup final hat trick. We need to do what Germany did and start again with a long term plan. But I doubt we will. Meanwhile the army of armchair experts who are Premier League supporters rather than football one will continue to pay their subscriptions to gaze at teams and players they have no connection with.
Just Googled the England squad for the 66 Final and was surprised by the spread of clubs represented. To nit pick though Ray Wilson was born in Huddersfield but actually played for Everton.
True. My mistake. But he played for England for 4 years whilst at Huddersfield before his transfer to Everton and was at Huddersfield when first picked by Sir Alf Ramsey. Just couldn't see it happening now. Teams like ourselves, similar to Huddersfield, Fulham, Blackpool and Leicester in those days will never see players picked for England no matter how well they play.
The german way would not work here for starters. Until the FA get sorted and by that I mean a root and branch re-build then the PL is the King. Get used to it sadly.
Here are somethings I'd like to be bought All schoolboy football to run from April to September. Better weather equals better football, less postponed games. A ban on parents watching schoolboy football Mid-week 5-a-side leagues as mandatory for school level football. A limit on how many foreigners youngsters are allowed in clubs academy Foreign exchange with other clubs between the age of 16-18 Players between the age of 18-21 must start at least 20 games a season(include loans)
