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FOOTBALL


Raising the Game


Pete Hayman looks at The FA’s National Game Strategy up to 2012, how it’ll be expanded towards 2015, and the NGB’s vision for the game in 2020


D


uring the unveiling of the Foot- ball Association’s (FA) National Games Strategy (NGS) in 2008, the FA’s director of football


development, Sir Trevor Brooking, said: “We want to raise standards in all areas of football, including at the top. But it’s important to get the platform and the base right for that to happen.” This comment marked the start of a new ap- proach for the national governing body (NGB) and one that sought to transform England’s grassroots environment. The national governing body proposed


an investment of £200m over a four-year period, with four main aims identified: to increase participation; to raise stan- dards; to develop better players; and to improve behaviour and discipline through the Respect campaign. Although initially drawn-up to cover


this time line, the successes of the NGS has led the FA to extend it by a further three years to 2015. Consultation with players,


coaches, administrators, local authorities; education; and referees was a fundamen- tal part in developing the original NGS and will form the basis of the new extension. Kelly Simmons, the FA’s head of na-


tional game, explains: “We’re very much guided by what our stakeholders want. With the last strategy, we undertook a large period of consultation and research and we’re doing the same this time.” A survey of around 13,000 individuals


from the national game – The Grassroots Survey – is now complete and Simmons says that those opinions will help guide where the FA’s priorities will lie over the next three years; improved facili- ties, addressing poor behaviour and the promotion of the Respect programme re- maining at the top of the agenda. The FA has worked hard to ensure that


its investment in the grassroots game has been well spent. Mark Pover, national fa- cilities and investment manager, explains how the FA’s funding – managed by the


38 Read Sports Management online sportsmanagement.co.uk/digital


Facilities need to meet FA standards


Issue 2 2011 © cybertrek 2011


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