In praise of local grassroots football.

While most people sing the praises of the Premier League, the Football League and even the Blue Square League, I would like to highlight the joys of my passion; local, grassroots football.
Every weekend between August and May thousands of young men and women are playing football, not for money or fame but for the shear enjoyment of the game. The facilities are often terrible but nothing stops them doing the thing they love.
But its not just about the players. For every squad of 15 there are another 3-4 people behind the scenes making it happen. The secretary, the treasurer, the manager, the kit washer. These people do these jobs for nothing and quiet often get nothing but grief for their trouble, yet without them there would be no match at the weekend.
Then you have the people who run and organise the leagues. Again without them there would be no matches. These are not paid six figure salaries like their counterparts at the FA. No, these guys do it for nothing except a love of the beautiful game. And most of them do a far better job then those at the top level...
Of course even with all that in place there is still one thing missing; the referee. There has been a fall in the number of officials in local football over the last 15 years and it has led to many leagues not being able to continue, and if you have ever witnessed a match at the local park it is easy to see why.
Paid only expenses, often something like £20 a match, these guys take all manner of stick off the players and officials of the clubs and have been threatened, and even worse, attacked, just for doing a job no one else wants to do. Is it any wonder the game is struggling to attract new referees?
Now I have been involved in local football for the best part of 25 years and I know how frustrating it is when they make mistakes but, along with the other guys I have already mentioned, without them there would no match.
So, these are the people that make it happen but what about the games themselves? Well I have to be honest and say it is often far more enjoyable then the football you see on the TV these days. Yes, the skill level is nowhere near as high but for entertainment value you cannot beat it. 0-0 draws are a rarity and in fact most games have something like 4-5 goals each minimum. Mistakes are prevalent but that simply adds to the fun!
I watch a lot of local football for my job with the local newspaper and very rarely do I come away from a game disappointed. I have seen some great goals, some great players and I have also had many laughs. The own goals, the fights, the goalkeepers who can't catch the ball, the referees who never leave the centre circle...this is what real football is about, not the pampered, watered down version you see on the TV. No need for video replays here, no rolling around on the floor pretending to be injured, no imaginary yellow cards being waved. None of that would not be tolerated.
So next time you are at a loose end on a Saturday afternoon or a Sunday morning instead of staying in and watching Sky take a trip to your local park and see some real people enjoying the beautiful game as it was intended all those years ago. Believe me you'll be glad you did...