Once, football was more than just a game. It was the lifeblood of communities, a common thread that brought people together, from bustling cities to quiet villages. It was a symbol of unity and resilience, where underdog stories inspired hope, and local clubs were the beating hearts of neighborhoods.

But over the years, the soul of the game has been slowly eroded. The promises made when the Premier League was founded—to level the playing field, to strengthen grassroots football, and to invest in the future—have faded. What remains is a system that prioritizes profit over people, leaving young players disillusioned, small clubs struggling, and fans yearning for the game they once knew.

The System That Steals Dreams

Picture this: a boy named Jamie, aged nine, is playing for his local club. He’s a bright talent, running circles around defenders on a muddy pitch. Scouts from a Premier League academy spot him and dangle an irresistible carrot before his family. “Your son has what it takes,” they say. “With us, he’ll have the best coaches, the best facilities, and a shot at his dream.”

Jamie joins the academy. The local club loses its star player, but the community beams with pride. “He’s one of us,” they say. But Jamie’s dream doesn’t unfold as planned. By the time he’s 14, he’s deemed surplus to requirements. Maybe he’s not fast enough or doesn’t fit the mold of what the club is looking for. Released without ceremony, he returns home, where the local club has moved on without him. The dream he once chased now feels like a cruel joke.

Jamie’s story isn’t unique. Every year, thousands of kids are released from academies, their dreams shattered. For many, football was more than a game—it was their identity. When that’s stripped away, the emotional toll can be devastating. Studies reveal that 90% of released players experience mental health issues like anxiety and depression​

The Independent

Tragically, some, like Jeremy Wisten and Joel Darlington, have paid the ultimate price, highlighting the urgent need for reform​

Sky Sports

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The Ripple Effect on Grassroots Football

The impact doesn’t stop with Jamie. His departure destabilizes his local club. Without their star player, they struggle to compete. Other kids lose interest, and some leave to join rival teams. The club, once vibrant, now teeters on the brink of collapse. Multiply this story across the country, and you see a picture of grassroots football in crisis.

Grassroots football isn’t just a pipeline for talent—it’s the foundation of communities. It’s where kids learn teamwork, where parents cheer from the sidelines, and where lifelong friendships are forged. But this foundation is crumbling. Premier League clubs siphon away young talent, draining the lifeblood of local teams. Meanwhile, promises of financial support for grassroots initiatives remain largely unfulfilled. The Premier League, awash with billions in revenue, contributes only a fraction of its wealth to the lower leagues and grassroots projects​

The Monopolization of Talent

The hoarding of young players by elite clubs further skews the balance. Chelsea’s model—recruiting young players en masse, loaning them out, and selling them for profit—is now replicated across the league. It’s an efficient business strategy but a devastating blow to the game’s integrity.

Consider players like Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah. Both were deemed not good enough for Chelsea at one point and were loaned out. Today, they are among the world’s best, but their development came despite the system, not because of it. What if they had stayed at smaller clubs, lighting up the lower leagues and inspiring the next generation? Instead, their talent was stockpiled, their potential undervalued​

The Impact of Over-Regulation

In an attempt to consolidate power, the Premier League imposes stringent regulations on clubs, often under the guise of “raising standards.” For example, Brentford FC successfully operated without a traditional academy, scouting talent overlooked by other systems. Their model saved costs and created opportunities for players who might have otherwise been ignored. But in 2022, the Premier League mandated that all clubs must operate academies, effectively dismantling alternative approaches​

The introduction of Premier League 2 and competitions like the National League Cup further highlights the imbalance. These initiatives benefit the big clubs, giving their reserve players valuable match experience while undermining the competitive integrity of lower leagues​. This was a dark and shady deal that involved the removal of FA Cup replays without the consent of the National League. 

The Way Forward

Reclaiming football requires bold action and systemic change. Here’s how we can fix the broken system:

1. Restrict Academies for Younger Players

Premier League academies should focus on players aged 16 and above, allowing younger players to stay with their local clubs. This would strengthen grassroots football, keep communities engaged, and reduce the emotional toll on children who are released.

2. Redistribute Wealth

The Premier League generates billions annually. A significant portion of this revenue must be redirected to grassroots football. This isn’t charity—it’s an investment in the future of the game.

3. Limit Player Hoarding

Introduce strict caps on the number of players clubs can sign and loan out. This would force clubs to make more thoughtful decisions about talent acquisition and create opportunities for smaller teams.

4. Celebrate Alternatives

Encourage innovative approaches like Brentford’s scouting model. By breaking away from traditional academies, clubs can create new pathways for talent development that benefit the entire football ecosystem.

5. Celebrate Alternatives

Scrap the EFL/Prem2 Cup and give us back our replays.

Reclaiming Our Game

Football isn’t just a business. It’s a shared passion, a cultural cornerstone, and a vehicle for community building. But the game we love has been hijacked by corporate interests, turning it into a machine that benefits the few at the expense of the many.

Imagine a world where young players like Jamie can thrive at their local clubs, where grassroots teams are vibrant and competitive, and where fans feel connected to their communities. This isn’t a pipe dream—it’s the game as it was always meant to be.

The time for change is now. We must demand better from the Premier League, the FA, and every stakeholder in football. This isn’t just about fixing a broken system—it’s about reclaiming the heart and soul of the game.

Join the movement. Speak out. Together, we can give football back to the people.

If YouTube take it down, BBC has it here. 

At just 18, Caicedo had quickly become one of soccer’s most talked-about talents.

She began her professional career at 14 with América de Cali, finishing that season as the Colombian league’s top scorer.

At 15, Caicedo faced a major challenge when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Keeping her battle mostly private, she underwent surgery to remove a tumor and completed her treatment before being declared cancer-free. She returned to the game stronger than ever and went on to win her second Colombian league title in 2021.

A perfect example of this tension can be seen in the debate among football coaches about the efficacy of traditional drills versus the modern focus on small-sided games. Advocates of the latter often argue that all football drills are outdated and ineffective. They claim that players can learn everything they need through real-game scenarios, where decisions must be made under pressure. While this perspective has its merits, dismissing all drills overlooks the potential benefits of a middle ground, where both approaches can coexist and contribute to a player’s development.

Take, for instance, the most basic form of a football drill: a single player kicking a ball against a wall. This simple exercise teaches crucial skills—technique, ball control, touch, and eye-foot coordination. There’s no denying the benefits of such repetition, whether it’s juggling a ball, chipping it into a bin, or navigating through cones. These foundational activities are often labeled as “boring” or “not enjoyable,” especially when framed as coach-guided practice focused solely on weaknesses. Yet, the definition of what is “fun” varies from participant to participant. If players are engaged and thinking about what they are doing—if they are solving problems in their practice—then these repetitive actions can be rewarding.

Critics of traditional drills often advocate for small-sided games as the ultimate teaching tool. Yes, these games can effectively force players to make decisions in real time, but this argument often overlooks the context of the player. Many advocates focus their teaching on players who are already competent in the basic skills of receiving and passing the ball. They often ignore beginners—whether they are children or adults—who still need to build foundational skills through focused, repetitive practice. For these players, drills provide the necessary repetition and structure to develop their understanding and execution of essential techniques.

Even at the highest levels of football, you can find players who struggle with basic skills. Many professional athletes can only receive the ball with their dominant foot, which limits their effectiveness in various game situations. Drills can help players develop their weaker foot, improve their receiving skills, and learn how to position themselves appropriately—all without the pressure of an active game. These micro-lessons are crucial for developing a player’s overall competence and adaptability.

As Mark White emphasizes in his interviews, football is filled with micro-lessons that build upon one another. It starts with mastering basic skills like ball control and passing. From this foundation, players can begin to learn how to pass and move under pressure, all while making decisions in real-time. The problem arises when the discourse around coaching becomes overly dogmatic, with certain coaching philosophies imposed without consideration for the individual needs of players. This trend often involves taking quotes or ideas out of context to support a narrative, typically one that serves a specific agenda or sells a product.

The idea that football drills are entirely obsolete is a dangerous oversimplification. While no one advocates for outdated practices—like 20 players standing in a line kicking the ball to a lone player at the other end—there are countless ways to design drills that teach real, game-relevant movements while focusing on the fundamentals of biomechanics and muscle memory. Coaches should remain open-minded, finding what works best for each individual player in the moment.

In conclusion, the debate between drills and small-sided games should not be framed as an either/or proposition. Both approaches offer significant value depending on the player’s level and the skills being taught. The real problem lies in the stubbornness of individuals who cling too tightly to their opinions, ignoring the rich middle ground where both traditional drills and game-like scenarios can coexist and complement one another. Only by embracing this balance can we foster a more effective and holistic approach to developing well-rounded football players.

If you want to explore this further, I recommend the discussion on Dan Abrahams podcast “The Sport Psych Show” here:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/308-johnny-gorman-reflections-on-being-released/id1434313037?i=1000678115259

** Language warning**  (If you’re easily offended by swear words, maybe don’t watch!)