There are so many fundamental things wrong with our structural setup it's hard to know where to start.
We (or rather the FA on our behalf!) have taken a completely different strategy to that of our counterparts. Our governing body choose to throw money and support at the 'elite' end of the structure in the belief that finance and development will 'trickle down' to grassroots.
Hence the ill conceived and fiscally crippling spend on a new Wembley (£1,000m) & St George's Park (£120m).
We've seen Alan Curbishley speaking some hard truths this morning about how we teach basic skills and develop talent across a broad Base at a young age. He correctly says we've talked the talk for many years but never actually done it.
Of course we haven't. Where would we even do it? At St George's Park?
How many quality facilities would £1,000m have provided around the country?
Have you ever travelled into rural France, Netherlands? There are villages too small to warrant a newsagents or convenience store....but they have a state of the art sports facility where kids aged 6 upwards can play in a safe environment, on a good surface, with quality equipment.... at no cost.
They have access to coaching as well.
We are light years behind. When did you last see Premier League revenue trickle down to provide this for our Grassroots entry level kids?
Or that of our governing body?
Hilariously, a senior figure at the FA responsible for development of the national game even had the cheek to lay the blame for the parlous state of our game at the feet of the government's austerity measures. In other words, the taxpayer.
Oh really?
I'd say again....
How many quality facilities would £1,000m have provided around the country?
Or the £5m pa paid to Roy Hodgson. Or the salary still being paid to Capello. Or Mclaren. Or Sven. Monies well spent? Remember how Brian famously said he would have done it for nothing....it is after all, essentially, a part time job.
We could multiply our pitiful current investment at grassroots by a factor of 1000. It would still take us 50 years or more to even reach the same playing field that our continental neighbours are on.
What's wrong?
Pah.
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