An assessment of likely trends in grass roots soccer fo

1. 10 Trends for Grassroots Football for the next 10
Years

2. 1. Grass’ Roots – it
will be green and grass
but it will be synthetic
grass
•Better Quality
•Last longer
•Cheaper to maintain
•Requires less water,
which will be a key issue
in many countries
• Flexibility for both 11 a-
side and 5- a-side
•Why need acres of
unused 11 –a-side
fields?
2

3. 2. It will be
increasingly small
sided football for
Under 12’s and Over
16’s
•Leisure patterns for all but the
committed indicate that
participants want to dip and dip
out of playing.
• They can’t /won’t commit to
playing 11 –a-side football for
30 weekends a season
•Work and Social units are now
smaller than they were 20
years ago
•TV football mitigates against
participation
•5-a-side : Less intimidating for
the unskilled: Less indiscipline
& player violence
3

4. 3. Flexible
Participation
•Move toward ‘Pay and Play’
not yearly subscriptions
•Fun rather than commitment
•Flexible 24/7 for 365 days
•No recognized grassroots
football season
4

5. 4. Web
Involved
•Admin via the web: Booking facility
/results / via the web
•Virtual clubs based on one facility. The
‘club house ‘ is a Facebook page
•Location based apps to identify nearest
facility
•Much use of photos of players playing
and video, which can be generated
remotely ( as in common now for
participants engaging in Fun Runs or
Marathons)
5

6. 5. Volunteer ‘ Lite’-
but Parent ‘ heavy’
•5-a-side needs less volunteers to run it and
minimal refereeing
•No need for committees, officers etc.
Participants take what responsibility is require
•Self organize – DIY. Its ‘IKEA’ grassroots
football
•There is a World Physical Education Crisis as
schools marginalize P.E.in favor numeracy,
literacy etc. Parents want their children to be
physically and socially active and sport
provides this so …For Kids football – parents
will be involved and welcomed, not just
tolerated
6

7. 6. Increasingly
Commercial Providers
•11-a-side as well as 5-a-side
•Not necessarily clubs or local
government
•Social environment (with Bar and
TV) without being a club member
•Possibly indoor
•. ‘Home ‘or ‘Away ‘not important:
Participation will be facility based
not club based. With clubs using the
same (synthetic) field facility
sharing by clubs will make most
sense. clubs may retain club
houses but will reduce the number
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of grass fields they need

8. 7.As Local as
possible
•As close as
possible to home
/work
•Safer/greener
ecologically and
cost effective for
participants
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9. 8. As SOCIAL as
possible
•The social factor for
grassroots football
participation is
paramount
•Competitions
/tournaments/league
not as important as
camaraderie
•Mates ‘ as a
concept more
important than
‘team’ or club
9

10. 9.Cosmopolitan
•Mutli ethnic
usage and
marketed to mutli
ethnic groups.
• Football is a
unifying force for
immigrants
10

11. 10. Mixed
•Boys and
girls /men
and women
playing in the
same teams!
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12. For Consultancy, Training & E-Learning for
Grassroots Football and Coach Education
www.sportspath.com