Junior football at record levels - but it comes at a price

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Junior football at record levels - but it comes at a price

By: Jeff James

Listed Under: News

Published: Saturday, May 29, 2010

Grass roots junior football is going from strength to strength with over 55,000 teams spread across England.

But a combination of increasing costs, a need for improved facilities and a potential shortage of new coaches threaten its continued expansion.

Those are the findings of an exclusive Grass Roots Football Live survey published on May 28.

Seventy-three per cent of clubs surveyed say they are running either more or the same number of teams as two years ago.

And with most clubs already oversubscribed, 90 per cent of clubs expect this level of growth to continue.

The average-sized junior club now runs 11 girls and boys teams, ranging from under-sixes to under-16s.

"Our survey shows that our junior game is in a state of good health and withstanding the pressures of the current economy extremely well,” says Bob Rosen, managing director of Grass Roots Football LIVE.

"Junior football has never been so popular, but underneath there are causes for concern and it is absolutely vital that the clubs continue to get the support they deserve from the authorities, governing bodies and parents and volunteers."

As clubs gear up to cope with more youngsters, costs continue to rise.

Prudent budgeting and extensive fund-raising mean that 72 per cent of clubs surveyed broke even, with 18 per cent returning a profit and 10 per cent posting an annual loss.

Yet the average cost of running a team is now more than £2,000 a season and clubs are worried about how they will continue to fund this level of cost.

Clubs report that lower levels of sponsorship, parents’ donations and fundraising initiatives are all factors in reduced income streams. And that, say two thirds of all clubs, will lead to increased weekly subscriptions charged to children.

Availability of suitably qualified coaches is also a concern among clubs, potentially threatening continued expansion.

While 73 per cent of clubs do currently have a sufficient number of qualified coaches, many are worried that future volunteer recruitment is unlikely to keep up with increased demand.

And not for the first time, clubs are also concerned about the quality of facilities they enjoy - 33 per cent rated their current changing facilities and clubhouses as 'poor'.

"Our survey shows an ever-increasing demand by our youngsters to play organised football," says Rosen.

"As well as the obvious health benefits, there are hugely significant social benefits by giving our young people an opportunity to participate in sport in an organised environment.

"As the numbers grow, so the financial demands placed on our clubs continue to grow. In our survey clubs report that a serious squeeze is being put on traditional fundraising methods such as sponsorship, donations, etc.

"The consequence is that the children themselves will be asked to pay more subs and that could lead to young people who can least afford it being cut adrift from the junior football pyramid.

"The FA have done a good job with a whole range of initiatives to create more qualified coaches, including age specific courses. However, our survey points to the pressure on volunteer time as a real barrier to becoming a qualified coach.

“There is a fine line between creating a coaching course that does not impinge too greatly on volunteer leisure time and producing better qualified coaches.”