The wet weather of the early autumn, coupled with the financial recession, will only serve to emphasise the gap that exists between youngsters based in such far western outposts as Haverfordwest and Barrow in Cumbria and their urban counterparts.

Lack of low-priced local authority provision of large indoor third generation playing surfaces restricts the development of young footballers in the winter months, with goalkeepers being at a particular disadvantage because of the hardness of gymnasium floors and Astroturf surfaces.

Young players whose parents are not fortunate enough to afford the weekly travelling costs to be coached at Premiership, Championship and League Academies with better all-weather facilities are becoming part of a developing form of football social exclusion, by having to train locally with the prospect of wet weather and pitches which do not simulate match conditions.

Plans to upgrade local facilities for football must quickly take this into account.

Author: B. Steer

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Filed under: Football Coaching Views

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