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Grassroots football is booming
Grassroots football in Lancashire is on the up with thousands of would-be Ronaldos and Messis pulling on their boots every weekend.
In central Lancashire there are more young players per head of population than anywhere else in the country, with more teams waiting in the wings.
The Government has been trying to tackle a growing obesity problem by encouraging youngsters to get active and the Football Association has ploughed millions into grassroots football.
It has now become so popular that some clubs cannot find pitches for their teams to play on.
Last week the Evening Post revealed the Preston Pirates JFC may have to withdraw their under-11 team for next season if they cannot find a pitch.
Children from the age of eight can now play full league and cup seasons but not everybody thinks exposing youngsters to this level of competition at an early age is a good idea.
Ralph Cooper, 62, the former president of the Lancashire Amateur League, says that having young children in leagues prevents their technical development and causes them to lose interest in sport by the time they reach their teens.
Ralph, of Hillside Road, Frenchwood, has been the secretary of the Newman College Old Boys team for the last 41 years and has seen a dip in the number of players in their late teens.
He says: "They are playing too often at a weekend for so many years running.
"It is from six years of age and by the time they get to their mid-teens they have had enough."
For the full feature, see Friday's Lancashire Evening Post
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Weather for Preston
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Light sleet
Temperature: -3 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South
