Interesting article by Henry Winter in today's Times regarding kids footie.....and The F.A.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/...l-suffer-after-botched-wembley-sale-7bplw8lmc
FA blazers have shamefully betrayed the nation’s children with botched Wembley sale
Henry Winter, Chief Football Writer
A tear rolls slowly down the cheek of a child staring at a pitch waterlogged again, at another game called off, at some fun with friends cancelled again and a chance of vital exercise ruined. Forgive the melodrama but this is a scene witnessed across the country again and again. Now the FA blazers, as well as rain, stop play.
When the tear has eventually dried, although the grass sadly remains too wet to use, that boy or girl may wonder why the drainage was not maintained, why they have no access to a 3G pitch, and why the grown-ups are not helping. The adults are too busy squabbling.The damage is not simply wrought on the national game but the National Health Service; at a time when reports into childhood obesity make alarming reading, the blinkered blazers fail to promote physical activity.
These disappointed children would surely shake their heads in disbelief if somebody tried to explain that the reason why the facilities lack proper investment is because of a battle between the blazers on the FA council and the suits at the FA executive, the self-appointed governors of the game who cannot even agree on grassroots strategy. Egos, agendas and poor presentation of a legitimate argument have combined to let down the country’s children.I know many of this county set and they do care about the game, but they have been feeling increasingly sidelined by the executives at the FA. So this was their chance in the spotlight.They stamped their feet, signalling disapproval of the FA considering accepting Shahid Khan’s £600 million (plus add-ons) bid for Wembley. This would have released transformative revenue into grass roots, providing proper fields of dreams for the nation’s children aspiring to be Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane or Marcus Rashford.The governing body undoubtedly mishandled its courtship of the council. It went in with a sense of bullishness rather than with charm and chocolates. It was “a completely shambolic presentation of the argument to stakeholders”, according to one close to the process.
The FA needed to emphasise better that the windfall would be dispensed sensibly, investing say £50 million a year and ensuring an endowment fund for maintenance. (And whoever tried to convince the council that the FA would receive cheques for 5 per cent a year interest needs a reality check).
The public’s reaction signalled longstanding, widespread distrust of the FA even to put the nets up, let alone the cash up. But this is where the Football Foundation comes in. The UK’s largest sports charity is the established conduit for authorities and state funds to the grass roots. Intelligent, business-minded people with a love of the game work there, and it is offensive to suggest that they are incapable of investing the money well.Foundation ambassadors include Gareth Southgate, Gary Neville, Faye White, Chris Powell and Graeme Le Saux, thoughtful football people who appreciate the work that the charity has done since 2000 in taking £650 million from the Premier League, the FA and government and using it to draw in a further £850 million from local authorities.
The foundation, a pretty sober organisation not given to outlandish claims, yesterday lamented the collapse of the Wembley deal at a time when “the stock of community football facilities . . . is in a shameful state”. That should shame the blazers, but they will be too happy celebrating a pyrrhic victory, before realising that they must work out how their local leagues are going to play catch-up with postponed fixtures.
Critics of the FA’s botched sale will argue that the Premier League should do more, and of course it should, but listen to this: first, it does contribute considerable sums from its broadcast riches via the foundation. But also beware this: when Richard Scudamore steps down shortly as executive chairman of the Premier League, the greedy clubs will inevitably want to retain some of that booty handed out to the grass roots.It is naive to think that the clubs will turn themselves into benevolent practices. They should care about the grass roots, as that is where their home-grown players start. But do they really care? They can buy abroad.
For those urging the FA to levy funds for grass roots from agents’ stratospheric fees — which in a perfect world it should — well, get real. The clubs will do the deals that suit them, that ensure they get the best players.
England’s roadshow when Wembley was being rebuilt was wonderful, the team playing to packed, raucous houses. The national team belong to the country, not the capital, and it was brilliant for starry-eyed children to have England on their doorstep rather than the expense of heading to London.
Wembley is a white elephant, a millstone, a stadium too far. Far better footballing arenas exist in this country for atmosphere, access, backstage facilities and pitch, and the famed Wembley surface now bears the scars of gridiron and boxing bouts. When the new White Hart Lane eventually opens, Wembley will not even be the best ground on the North Circular Road.
It is tired inside and even the corporate types who have invested in boxes and smart tables whisper admiringly of the facilities at the Emirates and elsewhere. Wembley wins out on capacity, touching 90,000, 15,000 more than Old Trafford, but how often is that required? And the FA Cup final worked well at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
There are no winners in this, beyond the pumped up vanity of certain FA council members, and the losers are obvious: those children just wanting to play. What should have been a watershed moment in tackling waterlogged pitches has ended in tears. The blazers should be ashamed of themselves.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/...l-suffer-after-botched-wembley-sale-7bplw8lmc
FA blazers have shamefully betrayed the nation’s children with botched Wembley sale
Henry Winter, Chief Football Writer
A tear rolls slowly down the cheek of a child staring at a pitch waterlogged again, at another game called off, at some fun with friends cancelled again and a chance of vital exercise ruined. Forgive the melodrama but this is a scene witnessed across the country again and again. Now the FA blazers, as well as rain, stop play.
When the tear has eventually dried, although the grass sadly remains too wet to use, that boy or girl may wonder why the drainage was not maintained, why they have no access to a 3G pitch, and why the grown-ups are not helping. The adults are too busy squabbling.The damage is not simply wrought on the national game but the National Health Service; at a time when reports into childhood obesity make alarming reading, the blinkered blazers fail to promote physical activity.
These disappointed children would surely shake their heads in disbelief if somebody tried to explain that the reason why the facilities lack proper investment is because of a battle between the blazers on the FA council and the suits at the FA executive, the self-appointed governors of the game who cannot even agree on grassroots strategy. Egos, agendas and poor presentation of a legitimate argument have combined to let down the country’s children.I know many of this county set and they do care about the game, but they have been feeling increasingly sidelined by the executives at the FA. So this was their chance in the spotlight.They stamped their feet, signalling disapproval of the FA considering accepting Shahid Khan’s £600 million (plus add-ons) bid for Wembley. This would have released transformative revenue into grass roots, providing proper fields of dreams for the nation’s children aspiring to be Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane or Marcus Rashford.The governing body undoubtedly mishandled its courtship of the council. It went in with a sense of bullishness rather than with charm and chocolates. It was “a completely shambolic presentation of the argument to stakeholders”, according to one close to the process.
The FA needed to emphasise better that the windfall would be dispensed sensibly, investing say £50 million a year and ensuring an endowment fund for maintenance. (And whoever tried to convince the council that the FA would receive cheques for 5 per cent a year interest needs a reality check).
The public’s reaction signalled longstanding, widespread distrust of the FA even to put the nets up, let alone the cash up. But this is where the Football Foundation comes in. The UK’s largest sports charity is the established conduit for authorities and state funds to the grass roots. Intelligent, business-minded people with a love of the game work there, and it is offensive to suggest that they are incapable of investing the money well.Foundation ambassadors include Gareth Southgate, Gary Neville, Faye White, Chris Powell and Graeme Le Saux, thoughtful football people who appreciate the work that the charity has done since 2000 in taking £650 million from the Premier League, the FA and government and using it to draw in a further £850 million from local authorities.
The foundation, a pretty sober organisation not given to outlandish claims, yesterday lamented the collapse of the Wembley deal at a time when “the stock of community football facilities . . . is in a shameful state”. That should shame the blazers, but they will be too happy celebrating a pyrrhic victory, before realising that they must work out how their local leagues are going to play catch-up with postponed fixtures.
Critics of the FA’s botched sale will argue that the Premier League should do more, and of course it should, but listen to this: first, it does contribute considerable sums from its broadcast riches via the foundation. But also beware this: when Richard Scudamore steps down shortly as executive chairman of the Premier League, the greedy clubs will inevitably want to retain some of that booty handed out to the grass roots.It is naive to think that the clubs will turn themselves into benevolent practices. They should care about the grass roots, as that is where their home-grown players start. But do they really care? They can buy abroad.
For those urging the FA to levy funds for grass roots from agents’ stratospheric fees — which in a perfect world it should — well, get real. The clubs will do the deals that suit them, that ensure they get the best players.
England’s roadshow when Wembley was being rebuilt was wonderful, the team playing to packed, raucous houses. The national team belong to the country, not the capital, and it was brilliant for starry-eyed children to have England on their doorstep rather than the expense of heading to London.
Wembley is a white elephant, a millstone, a stadium too far. Far better footballing arenas exist in this country for atmosphere, access, backstage facilities and pitch, and the famed Wembley surface now bears the scars of gridiron and boxing bouts. When the new White Hart Lane eventually opens, Wembley will not even be the best ground on the North Circular Road.
It is tired inside and even the corporate types who have invested in boxes and smart tables whisper admiringly of the facilities at the Emirates and elsewhere. Wembley wins out on capacity, touching 90,000, 15,000 more than Old Trafford, but how often is that required? And the FA Cup final worked well at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
There are no winners in this, beyond the pumped up vanity of certain FA council members, and the losers are obvious: those children just wanting to play. What should have been a watershed moment in tackling waterlogged pitches has ended in tears. The blazers should be ashamed of themselves.
