Walk around the parks, no body is playing football.
That isn't the case around us (Harrogate). The Stray is rammed each weekend with everyone from primary-aged children to adults playing organised football matches and/or training. Our local football club (Pannal) has just secured some land and have raised enough money to build a proper club house and facilities. In our school year (yr 4) most of the boys are in one team or another and several parents are actively involved in the running of clubs/training etc. More recently my two girls have also taken an interest in it and we often play games in the garden. The only thing that is missing is any girls taking it further and getting involved in a team but I am hoping mine do as they both show a decent bit of talent.
And further to that, one of my best mates' boys are both utterly football mad (8 & 10). Both play competitively (one for Northampton Town under 10s and is showing huge promise). If they aren't playing it (which is about 90% of the time) they are either watching it (they would happily watch any football they could find on Eurosport, not just 'their team') or playing FIFA 2018 on their console.
Walk around the parks, no body is playing football.
Not true.
I hear the same cliched nonsense regularly from pundits, all the playing fields have gone etc, it's bollocks, there are way more good football facilities than there ever was when I was at school (and due the teachers strike there was no such thing as school teams throughout my whole school years)
Kids that are on pro youth contracts now don't go to their local secondary up here, instead going to a regional centre of excellence, the facilities at these centres is fantastic.
The issue up here is that up until around 16-17, the kids are up there with any nationality, but don't make the step up to pro level. It's been an issue for years.
Everyone loves a game of footie...(apart from the usual stw culprits!) kicking that bag o air into the back of the net always feels good! Its just watching England that's the killer!
I was in Agadir a few months back (west coast of Morocco) and when the tide went out it left a perfect firm flat sandy beach which all of the locals descended on to play organised football matches. Literally you could walk a mile down the beach and it was end to end laid out pitches full of enthusiastic young lads playing football....and some girls too. The standard was really good in places. You can see why we are being left behind.
I hear the same cliched nonsense regularly from pundits, all the playing fields have gone etc, it's bollocks, there are way more good football facilities than there ever was when I was at school
Very much this.
My 8 year old played football on Friday, Saturday and Sunday on 3 different 4G Pitches all within 10 minutes drive from the house, all of which were immaculate with full changing facilites and would have seemed like science fiction when I was at school being forced to slog round a red ash park with rusty goalpoasts, no lines and no nets.
How many championship teams in the champions league this year?.
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Roughly the same number as superleague rugby teams (because the winners don't qualify for the champions league).
I think his point is that SPL teams get to play in the Champion's League so get some good experience playing against better teams/world class players than Championship teams do.
I think his point is that SPL teams get to play in the Champion's League so get some good experience playing against better teams/world class players than Championship teams do.
Except during the season the regular league matches are against worse opposition with one or two exceptions. At least the players in the Championship are playing decent quality week in week out.
Personally, I think dumped into the Championship, Celtic wouldn't necessarily get promotion at the first attempt. They've got some good performances in them, but whether they could step up to doing it every week immediately, i'm not so sure (but that's probably a whole other thread).
@fifeandy - I agree with you - but I was responding to the comment about Championship teams playing in the Champion's League.
Personally, I think dumped into the Championship, Celtic wouldn't necessarily get promotion at the first attempt.
Even as a Rangers fan, I'd completely disagree with that. Hey ho.
Fair comment, you know what it's like to find yourself in a lower league.
