Use the power of football to tackle social problems such as crime, urges Sir Trevor Brooking.
The Football Association’s director of football development was speaking at an Local Government Association-organised conference on how councils and clubs can get results on and off the pitch. Sir Trevor said the sport – played by 12 million people in more than 80,000 teams – could have a positive impact on all the areas of local authority concern.
He stressed the main way this could be harnessed was through the provision of good playing facilities: “The five-a-side game is growing and poor facilities in many parts of the country are a cause of that. People who cannot afford to hire a pitch lose out. We have to work together to make sure they have access to facilities and are not distracted by crime, drugs and other social problems.”
Sir Trevor spoke of direct evidence in the five-to-11 age group of children’s behaviour improving after they started playing football regularly. He also praised link-ups between local authorities and football clubs where children have been given free match tickets as an incentive to improve their behaviour and standard of work.
“We must appreciate the value of football. When I was a child I could put down a couple of jumpers for goalposts and play for hours with my friends. Understandably, not all parents will let that happen these days and so there has to be a local structure in place. I have seen some fantastic facilities springing up in this country. That is where a really clued up planning officer has seen an opportunity and recognised the impact sport can have.”
