From my experience, at primary school both boys and girls interact with one another and taught how to play team games like ‘mat football’ or rounders. Unlike primary school, high schools seem to divide the boys and girls and teach them sports that ‘correspond to their gender’, boys would play rugby, football, basketball, cricket etc. and girls, netball, hockey, rounders and so on. (Later in the discussion this topic will be in more detail). Schools provide extra curricular activities for the children willing to be more competitive, leagues are set up within the local community between schools which in turn improve the childrens sporting ability. In some P.E lessons qualified sports people visit schools to promote sport and inform children of the short and long term benefits, such people in my area are from Preston City Sports council. But these are only occasionally, some schools in Preston don’t provide very good physical education whereas the school I attended was brilliant. At Ashton High school I was able to compete at a high standard, due to the quality of the teaching and have great facilities at hand.
Lancashire Football Association (L.F.A) put together leagues for men of all ages, from under 11’s to over 18’s. The games usually take place on Sunday mornings on parks; the closest to me being Ashton Park, which is provided with, marked pitches, grass occasionally cut and football nets. Volunteers who in some cases have a qualification in coaching run these clubs, which are funded by weekly fees (subs) off the players and sponsorships from local businesses, like ‘Ashworth Pies’, all to pay for equipment, kit and pitches.
Only small handfuls from these local clubs go onto represent their town team and the lucky ones Lancashire, their county. Very few are selected for further development in the sport; those who show great potential and exceptional skill. Here in Preston young boys who have this talent are scouted by Preston North End School of Excellence who enhance their overall ‘footballing’ ability to maybe become future stars. These clubs are funded by the income of the actual Preston North End Football Club (PNE FC) team, they aim to develop young boys to become professional players, hopefully for the actual PNE FC team. Those females who show a talent and interest in football gain support in ways of scholarships from colleges or schools. Women’s teams are becoming more popular due to the vast participation that colleges have to respond to by putting together football academies.
Young children have the chance to take part in ‘mini soccer’. In Preston this is held weekly at Preston North End FC’s astroturf pitch. Small-sided competitions are held to encourage young players to have a taste of competitiveness at a young age and to socialise. Quoted by Sir Alex Ferguson himself;
“Playing in a small area with an adequate number of players does them far more good than practising on a full sided pitch. Their skill level will dramatically improve.”
Those players who aren’t spotted at an early age tend to progress by stages, from local clubs and sometimes through to a national level. The stages in between are shown below;
Not all players follow these stages step by step, because not all players make it professionally or make it to national teams, all depending on their determination/ ability. However, in the past it has been known that children who have great potential to become professional players but their progression was limited, due to the lack of financial support. Such organisations are formed to help those with exceptional talent to be successful;
FUNDING
Grass roots
Football and Government teamed up in July 2000 to launch a brand new body to deliver a multi-million pound investment programme for football's grass roots. The Football Foundation is based on a funding partnership of the FA Premier League, the Football Association, Government, the New Opportunities Fund and Sport England. In its first year alone £24 million was available for investment in the game, rising to £60 million per annum from Year Two.
Three-quarters of the total budget (ie. £45 million per annum from Year Two) is devoted to the grass roots, improving pitches and changing facilities at our schools and in the parks. A further £7.5 million is available for new community and education projects, such as study support centres, community coaching schemes and social inclusion initiatives.
New Opportunities Fund
The New Opportunities Fund is a Lottery Distributor created to award grants to education, health and environment projects throughout the UK.
Sport England
Once known as the ‘English Sports Council’, Sport England is linked with the National Lottery who recognised sport as a great benefit for the English citizens. They aim to benefit areas such as education, health, and the regeneration on communities and promoting social inclusion. Sport England is open to applications for amateur sports people who need the support whilst progressing through the natural ranks. Football has benefited from the lottery fund, one major benefit being all weather grass pitches and astroturf pitches at Preston Sport Arena.
Discrimination within the game of football
Being female has its advantages. Being a footballer is fantastic, but being both in this day and age isn’t the very best combination to have. Although give it its due, womens football has come along way, but for my liking not far enough. Within Preston I can name more than 15 football clubs for males of all age, the only womens team is Preston North End WFC. PNE WFC has over 70 girls and 6 teams ranging from under 10’s to Ladies. All these teams struggle to pay for pitches, kits and equipment due to the lack of funding and interest of PNE FC themselves. The managers and coaches are all volunteers, if you will it is deceived to be a ‘school of excellence’ but it is nothing better than a Sunday league team who share PNE FC’s name. Women don’t have a regular town team or Lancashire side, all in all it seems not much effort is put into the game for womens football in the Preston area.
Not just sexism occurs within the game but racism. Many organisations have been set up to fight racism within professional clubs, young people, amateur football, Asian and black communities, such as ‘Kick It Out’. Occasionally on match days, at the PNE football ground the players promote the organisation with banners and leaflets.
Although in Preston leagues are said to be for all ages, once someone reaches a certain age bracket they tend to lack interest in the sport because youngster are taking their places, why is it that leagues for the older people aren’t set up? In Preston there aren’t.
Disability Football
People with disabilities in Preston are less fortunate than those of the South and South East of England where the organisation ‘Football in the community’ provide coaching and facilities for free. The disabled work is funded by a donation of £81,000 from the Football Foundation and a further £15,000 from Premiership sponsors, Barclaycard. All this only began recently in 2002. It seems the courses run are doing very well and hopefully soon they will be taking place in Preston. However, I know of people with disabilities and do take part in many sports in Preston. Many youth clubs are set up in local leisure centres and school halls, by Preston City Council to let those with disabilities to take part in sports without feeling intimidated or less able than those who are. Due to the recent organisation in the South there hasn’t been any professional disabled footballers but maybe in the future there will.
As you have probably observed by now this assignment is almost based on the comparison between mens football and womens football within the Preston area. Although exactly the same game they are a world apart, the simple difference being the sex of the players. After much research it seems not just Preston but other cities and towns are lacking something too when it comes to womens football. This has been recognised by a newly formed organisation ‘Active Sports’. It aims to develop ten sports within a five year period, girl’s football being the latest to join the list. They quote;
“Active Sports will enhance the development work of the FA and enable good practice to become standard practice across all Partnership Areas, for girls and young women aged 10-16.”