It’s November in England and it’s been raining (not a surprise!) and footy games have already been called off, including mine at Horsham YMCA. I’m based in the South East and via X I’m seeing postponement’s coming in thick and fast. This is 2024, this is ridiculous, it’s possibly preventable and extremely frustrating.
I’m going to start with the obvious. The FA is an extremely well funded organisation. Every weekend they make a ridiculous amount of money from various means. Just last month Nottingham Forest were fined £750k for a social media post.
Why, oh why can’t the FA sort out the drainage issues for football pitches throughout the country?
This isn’t Government tax money, this isn’t money taken away from the elderly who are going to freeze this winter. This is money probably used for their luxurious offices and artworks adorning their pristine walls. This is money earned (I say that in the loosest term) from clubs, players, sponsors etc. Whilst the FA members live a glorious lifestyle which is equivalent to an Elton John after-party the underlings (non-league) suffer.
Speaking as a lower league fan and a writer who lives for the weekend football, this is poor. Are we asking for floodlights, stands or a clubhouse?
No, all we are asking for is help with the drainage, so a ninety minute football match can take place.
Let’s look at who these postponements affect.
The players, their families, the volunteers, the management teams, the officials and the of course the fans. Thousands of people throughout the country are stopped in their tracks because of rain.
The mental wellbeing of a young person working/studying all week so they can meet up with his team mates, play a game of football, have a laugh and a beer or two is crucial. The effect this may have on him, his mood, his relationships plus his physical and mental health can be detrimental.
The child being told that his match is off can ruin a weekend. It’s not just exercise, it’s also social and it encourages children away from the big screen and COD (one for the over 50’s!).
A basic solution can cost around £500, a top class solution can be around £30k. Each ground, due to the soil, area and yearly water fall will be different. Rain is not a new thing to Britain, we are well known for our regular downpours. Why in this day and age do we still have this issue?
The FA would rather spend money on trying to impress the voters of the next election for a World Cup, than concentrating on issues at home. The FA have said that their Foundation will award a maximum grant of £25,000. Grants cannot exceed 75% of the total project costs. A stringent application process through the local FA of that area is required to begin with.
I’ve been told by local clubs that there are many hurdles to get through and it’s time consuming for volunteers without the necessary experience when it comes to this type of application. On top of that, if they are successful obtaining funding for a project costing £10k, they still have to find £2.5k which is a lot of money for a step 7 and above club. Southern Combination Premier Division side Lingfield FC are a prime example of the drainage problem, it’s been over a year since they played a match at home, how can this be acceptable?
The disappointment will continue unfortunately for now. So, like a lot of you the weekend was spent tackling a list of jobs around the house and garden, oh the horror!