The thing the FA have to realise is that, whilst professional clubs don't mind England doing well, it isn't their first priority. It isn't the first priority for fans either, here and all those abroad that indirectly put money into PL coffers. The Conference aren't happy about having some of their teams raised into a new league, effectively relegating the rest down a league. Some EPL clubs (not surprisingly the top ones) don't mind having somewhere to play their reserves, but that will be about all the support they get. Don't know what the answer is...the only way that EPL clubs will play more English players is if it makes economic sense to them (as it does to us).
And the only way that will happen Fran is if we start to produce better players. The FA know the problem and they dabbled in the grass roots thing but not properly. They spent millions on a fantastic ability at Burton and now they need to spend millions getting thousands of coaches through it in coaching courses. They should make education courses there and turn it in to a part college to get 18-25 year olds through it and then support lower league clubs by getting there coaches trained properly. It costs thousands of pounds for a person to go for UEFA A licences. These licences are excellent coaching skills, yet out of reach for so many people. Invest here and succes will come. All this talk of win a World Cup in 8 years time is garbage. far too short a time.
I live in Lincoln, a city. Whilst any 'population figures' for Lincoln would suggest Lincoln is the size of Winchester, the reality is that where Lincoln starts and the villages surround begin is quite literally the fence between the Lincoln houses's side and the village's house. i.e. Those villages are pretty much part of Lincoln. As a 'Greater Lincoln' we are talking a population of 120 - 140,000 in an area 8 miles by 8 miles. So that is pretty much inner city. There are lots of good football pitches. There would be even more but because the demand isn't that high many have been left to ruin and are now just 'parks'. The ones that haven't been left to ruin are still underused. There are several astro turf pitches in Lincoln and it's surrounding villages. These are well used and very popular. When I was a kid lots more parents were prepared to do something for others and were much more willing to give up some of their time. If I was any good at football as a kid, or had the ability to communicate/socialise with others (very hard with Aspergers) then I would do it. You've got me wrong here. I have zero problem with the CRB part. I am just saying that there is more to starting a football team these days than just deciding to and doing it. CRB is definitely good. I am just saying that it is just part of the barrier to some people starting a team. Not meaning that they think they will fail it, just that it is just one of many things that people see as a hassle and then don't bother. Indeed, that was my whole point. There are fewer people these days that are going to do anything for anyone but themself (or their own child.) Rather than build, keep and maintain new pitches I think that same funding would be better served by investing in community coaches. Maybe a part-time thing. I don't know. I just know that for my eldest son's age group there are approx 30 teams in the 'Greater Lincoln' area. All were playing 7 a side and only offering 12 places. Thats 360 under 9s that get to play in a 'team' setting. Hopefully at the under 10 agegroup he will get lucky as they are playing 9 a side.
No connection to Eastleigh. Saints are the "secret" partners to Sparsholt College's ownership of Andover Town.
I was going for a dual prong approach. By limiting the number of over 21 players on your roster, it forces teams to develop and use younger players. This would help clubs like ours who develop from within. Our problem right now is lack of squad depth. We don't have 10 zillion attacking mids a la Chelsea. But if Chelsea is limited in the amount of over-21 players they can carry, then the field is evened up a bit because teams will have to tap into their U21's. But if you make U21's important, then the incentive is going to be for Chelsea to grab 10 zillion good young players. And some of them will never get to play. So by limiting teams to just 10 U21's it means that lower league sides can keep their promising young players. Clubs like Arsenal are going to have to think about if they're really going to use that starlet they covet, because otherwise it's a wasted roster spot. And if they don't use them, they lose them and possibly end up wasting a lot of transfer money. So the idea is that the rich clubs will have to choose exactly which 10 players they want, and they have to get it right and use and develop them because they'll need them. As opposed to the current model where it seems like teams can stock up on 20-25 U21 players and just let most of them rot. The players that get picked up by the big clubs will actually be developed and used. The remaining players will go to smaller clubs that will actually play them. And then if they develop, the small clubs can sell them at 21 for massive profits, instead of just having them snagged at 19 for tiny fees.
Well knock me over with a feather..! I'm agreeing with something Richard Scudamore is saying [apologies if posted earlier or elsewhere]: Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore on the FA commission's plan for a B-team league: "We all understand the issue. How do you take all this investment and progress in youth development and from 18 onwards convert them into players who are capable of holding their own in the Premier League and becoming England qualified talent. "That is the challenge we all have. I can't contradict what I have said before many times before and truly believe. I don't believe we should be interrupting or wrecking the pyramid of English football to achieve that. We must see if there is a credible alternative before we go decimating the Football Conference and the Football League. That is something we need to try and protect almost at all costs."
Exactly, I agree with this and I actually agree with a little of what Robbie Savage has said recently. The England player situation has to start from bottom up and not this top down approach that the commission have. My proposals on coaching badges are; Every player going through a football academy should leave or at least have the opportunity to leave with a coaching licence by 21. Regardless of whether they have a professional career Every school in England should have a teacher with an FA coaching licence. The courses and the annual refreshers should be free to the teacher and free or at least heavily subsided for the school.
Who actually has agreed that this B league is the way forward....they seem to have left Dyke to hang out to dry. Others must be involved and should have the courage to come out and defend their viewpoint.
Blimey..! Incredibly sensible post. I was going to point out that the average level of coaching in Europe is way above the norm in the UK [not just England]. Now PL clubs could fund advanced level coaching badges within the local and outlying communities, en masse, which would then benefit them back in the longer term. I did hear this too. Hopefully, nobody else posted it here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01yqwvr
Just seen this Impsaint. Thanks for the explanations. Yes, the starting a football team is not easy for sure; I'm lucky the club was already there and set up .. Just needed a coach at the age group of my son. We do actually find recruitment of coaches a problem for the next age groups coming through. Just as you said no one wants to do it. Your comment on community coaches is spot on - read my post on the investment I suggested at St Georges Park. Your bit about 7 a side is unfortunate. Small sided teams is refi taken the way forward but in your case, yes it makes for smaller number if places. I hope your son gets to play soon and especially while he is young. At the start of this season I was coaching the U7s as well as U13s as th coach had dropped out and we didn't want to lose the team for the boys (2 nights training and 2 sets of games got me into trouble with the wife!) but that couple of months with the you her boys reminded me just how special it is at the you get ages. The joy on the boys faces wells incredible. Good luck for your son. Do the local leagues have websites? You may have already checked, but ours constantly has adverts of teams looking for players.
Some good points there. There are already a few FA standard schools but not enough. Interesting point on youngsters going through academies. I don't know the situation today, but years back every trainee (16-18) went to college one day a week. This was usually to do a fairly innocuous course as a token towards 'maintaining education' incase their football career didn't work out. I know that this is taken more seriously today but why not include a High level Coaching qualification there too (this might be what you meant). This country needs many, many more, better qualified coaches.
There are facebook pages etc and contact details on the league site but it's more the number of places really. When you take into account the 'greater' population of Lincoln and the villages it has swallowed up there are probably 1-2000 or so kids in each age group trying to get the 3-400 places. The coaches situation has gotten to the point where the league now allows 'underage' players. Meaning that each club tends to have teams at 2 year intervals. Like one will have U8s, U10s, U12s etc. and therefore the U12s will also be able to use U11s.
Biggest piss take is the cost of coaching badges. I did the first two , my club paid the first but the second was £800.
yes, that put it better than I did. Players at academies are going to be exposed to the best sports science, coaching, body conditioning etc so even if they don't make the grade then we should be pushing them toward careers in Sports. I understand some may not want to go near a football for a while(such is the disappointment) but a few will and those qualifications will help. Linking the coaching to schools is the best way to get full time coaches
I live on a council estate and there are 'community centres' all over these estates. Often there are 2 or 3 estates that border each other. If the rest of the country is like here where there are 3 council estates each with their own community centres which are nothing more than council 'rent a room' affairs the city council/county council/local FA or whoever SHOULD be employing someone(s) full time to work between these 3 and other centres in the city making sure there is 'free activity' for all. not just young footballers but every age group, sex, any sport but they aren't. They are rented out to weight watchers, slimming world and no end of other franchises only out to make money. It isn't just the Premier League that only thinks of money. We are all at it and Councils / Governments are no different. All the talk of people getting fatter and unhealthier and 'making things available at low cost' is pie in the sky because 'making things availableat low cost' as seen by the powers that be is not the same as those who are in the real world on basic pay / wages. The reailty in this council estate is that if you earn £15k a year that's pretty good!!!! When 'making something available at low cost' means £3 - £4 per week per person it isn't low cost at all!!!! Same as the government is focusing on getting people to stop smoking free of charge they should be funding free EVERYTHING for any activity for all ages but it isn't going to happen in $$$ £££ mad Britain.
My take: The FA formed this committee, it cost money and they shouted about it lots, they had to come up with something, and it had to be a big enough change to justify their ridiculous all expenses paid existence. I reckon the committee meeting went a little like this: FA t**t number 1 : "The obvious solution...look at arguably the most successful national side, Spain, what are they up to? 35.5% foreign players to the Premier Leagues 68.5%, bloody hell! Right lads, it's obvious. Limit the amount of foreign players allowed, that'll get more English players playing at the top table, now that's sorted we can all go to the pub." ***Hand nervously raised from another committee member*** FA t**t 2 :"Erm, don't mean to piss on your bonfire, but isn't that going to make the Premier League, a bit...well crapper, in the short to medium term?" FA t**t 1 :"Bollocks, you're right, we can't damage the brand. Sky will be pissed, and if their money slows down I'll be pissed. Anyone got any other bright ideas what these pesky Spanish are up to, think quickly, I really am dying for a pint and a line of coke, this Sky money is burning a hole in my pocket." FA t**t 2 :"Urmmm, well a load of their top teams have B teams." FA t**t 1 :"That'll do, glad we got that sorted quick, we can use the left over budget from this project to get some hookers in! Hurrah!"
They kept spouting 'Best Practise' about these other countries. Well fair comment, but best practise isn't just having B teams, it's having a zillion more fully qualified coaches than the UK. They didn't mention that though.
