Daily Junction.mobi portalWhen pitches close and clubs fold, these benefits are lost, particularly in working-class communities where grassroots football is often the only affordable physical activity.
Grassroots football clubs are community hubs that bring together people of different ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities. A study by the FA in 2024 found that:
When clubs fold, these community connections are lost, contributing to social isolation and fragmentation.
Grassroots football is the foundation of the professional game. 90% of Premier League players started in grassroots clubs, according to the FA. When pitches close and clubs fold, the talent pool shrinks, harming the long-term health of English football.
For example:
If these clubs had folded, these players might never have been discovered.
Many experts argue that the Premier League should be legally required to invest 5% of revenue in grassroots football (up from 1.6%), generating £300 million per year (up from £100 million).
This could be achieved via:
The Premier League has resisted this, arguing it would reduce investment in clubs and players.
The UK government could ban the sale of playing fields without replacement, or require councils to transfer ownership to community trusts (which cannot sell land for profit).
This has been proposed by Fields in Trust and supported by MPs from all parties, but has not been implemented.
The FA and Sport England could invest £500 million over 10 years to improve drainage, build changing rooms, and resurface pitches. This would make existing pitches playable year-round, reducing the need for new pitches.
The FA could:
This would make grassroots football more affordable for working-class families.
The UK has lost 10,000 grassroots football pitches since 2012, with 1,000 closing annually due to funding cuts, poor maintenance, and land development. The Premier League invests £100 million per year in grassroots football (1.6% of total revenue), while Germany's Bundesliga invests 8% and Spain's La Liga invests 5%. The average grassroots club spends £15,000-25,000 per year on pitch hire, equipment, and insurance, but receives only £2,000-5,000 in grants and sponsorship. Participation in grassroots football declined 12% from 2019 to 2024 (from 6.2 million to 5.5 million regular players), driven by cost-of-living pressures and facility closures.
The FA's £230 million Parklife programme (2015-2025) built 500 3G artificial pitches, but critics argue it favours urban areas and elite clubs over rural and working-class communities. Local councils have sold 5,000 pitches for housing development since 2012, generating £2.5-10 billion in revenue but leaving communities without playing space. Grassroots football provides physical activity, social connection, and mental health benefits for millions, and is the foundation of the professional game (90% of Premier League players started in grassroots clubs). Without sustained investment and structural reform (mandatory Premier League contributions, protection of playing fields, investment in maintenance), grassroots football will continue to decline.