Anyone searching for an illustration of the deeper problems in English football - highlighted again by this World Cup - should look no further than the game's response to a report by Richard Lewis, the chairman of Sport England, published three years ago. The "Review of Young Players' Development in Professional Football" was produced when Lewis was still running the Rugby Football League and was supposed to provide a new structure for youth development in English football. A brief history of what happened to his 64 recommendations is enlightening in the context of the debate the game is now having after England manager Fabio Capello's ageing side was taken apart by a resurgent young German team just over a week ago.
Anyone searching for an illustration of the deeper problems in English football - highlighted again by this World Cup - should look no further than the game's response to a report by Richard Lewis, the chairman of Sport England, published three years ago.
The "Review of Young Players' Development in Professional Football" was produced when Lewis was still running the Rugby Football League and was supposed to provide a new structure for youth development in English football. A brief history of what happened to his 64 recommendations is enlightening in the context of the debate the game is now having after England manager Fabio Capello's ageing side was taken apart by a resurgent young German team just over a week ago.
The most distressing part of it is that they refuse to learn from what works abroad, preferring instead to come up with the own fresh-minted solution that suits the entrenched power bloc's interest. Unfortunately, as there are so many competing groups with conflicting interests, agreement is impossible.
It is, for example, no use the FA blaming the Premiership for the lack of coaches, particularly as 5 - 11 age group. Look instead to the Schools FA who are hostile to anything other than their own competition structure, which any reasonable coaching and developmental scheme would eradicate. the list of such issues is depressingly long. keep to the Fen Causeway
