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'Kids should have easier grassroots footy access'

Claire HamiltonLiverpool City Region political reporter
Claire Hamilton/BBC A man in his 60s, clean-shaven, wearing glasses and with thinning grey hair, stands on a grass field in a park. He is wearing a black blazer over a white shirt and holds a football in his right hand as he smiles for the camera.Claire Hamilton/BBC
Mike Reid, brother of Everton legend Peter Reid, said children on Merseyside should have more opportunities to play football

It is early on a cold, windy Saturday morning in a south Liverpool park.

Two men are distributing brightly coloured plastic cones, bibs and plenty of footballs.

In an hour's time, 100 primary school-aged children will arrive for a free training session.

"They are here 51 weeks of the year," according to Mike Reid, who contacted BBC Your Voice to highlight how hard he thinks it is for children to access affordable football training in all weather conditions.

He wants more youngsters across Merseyside to be able to participate in sessions like the ones in Calderstones Park.

This season has been tough, however, with the wet weather resulting in several sessions having to be cancelled due to waterlogged pitches.

He would love children to have better access to all-weather pitches.

Claire Hamilton/BBC A young boy, with brown curly hair and wearing a cream zip-up training jacket over a black replica Liverpool FC football kit, dribbles a blue Mitre football on a grassy field. Other boys can be seen training behind him. Claire Hamilton/BBC
Young footballer Lee, whose mum Lauren said "sport should be accessible for all"

Mike knows a thing or two about football and how it can change young lives.

His brother Peter Reid is a former England international and an Everton legend who won titles and trophies for the Toffeemen in the 1980s.

Peter, Mike and their brother Shaun (who also played professionally) began their footballing journeys in their local park.

Mike says they played "every time we had a spare moment".

He admits times have changed since the days "when you could play out in the streets".

He says there are now too many cars to make streets safe for soccer, plus "no ball games" signs are a feature of many estates.

Mike believes too many children do not often get the chance to try football in a low-pressure environment.

As a result, he thinks they are missing out on the life skills - "resilience, toughness, teamwork, togetherness and social interaction" - that the beautiful game taught him.

Mike Reid Mike Reid as a younger man, with black hair and a green polo neck t-shirt, smiles at the camera with his hands on the shoulders of Peter Reid, who has lighter hair in a mullet style and is wearing a white England football shirt with a blue v-neck collar. Mike Reid
Mike Reid (left) with his brother Peter when he got called up to play for England

"Liverpool is a city with a rich football heritage," said Mike.

"It's got two of the best teams in the world – but the provision for kids playing football is ridiculous.

"Most of the indoor provision has been given over to private enterprise. They make a profit from it. The charges for hiring one of these pitches indoors, it's just astronomical."

In contrast, the sessions at Calderstones Park are free.

If children have not got football boots or shin pads, they can borrow them.

The equipment is donated, but there are no goal posts.

Head coach Kenny Saunders, 63, said he coached free of charge "to give something back" to his community.

"It's back to basics, it's jumpers for goal posts," he said.

According to Kenny, football remains a very uneven playing field in terms of funding.

He said: "There's millions and millions of pounds at the top of the grassroots tree, but it needs still looking at, at the bottom, at the foundations, where every footballer starts their career."

Mike Reid A black and white photo of two young boys standing outside the wall of a house facing each other with their fists raised in a boxing stance. A model sailboat can be seen on the inside of a window ledge behind them. Mike Reid
Mike Reid, pictured as a boy with his brother Peter, said playing football in the streets taught him 'resilience and teamwork'

Kenny said his model of delivering free training through donations, volunteers and goodwill could be replicated elsewhere.

"If we can do it here in Calderstones Park, I'm sure we can do it in Knowsley, we can do it in Norris Green," he said.

"There are many other deprived areas in this city in which kids would love to go and have a kickabout, but unfortunately affordability is a massive thing today."

He added: "Parents haven't got £30-£40 a month to spend on their kids to kick a ball around."

One local mum, Lauren, has two children who attend the sessions in Calderstones Park.

She said: "I think it's a fantastic resource.

"Sport should be accessible for all and the fact that it's free completely levels the playing field for a range of different families."

'Where it all starts'

She said her children had not only made progress in the sport but also developed new skills and confidence.

Another parent said "grassroots football is where it all starts" and that money should flow more freely from the higher tiers of the game to communities like his.

Playing for a football team can cost parents about £30 per month in subscriptions.

Mike Reid said big football clubs needed to do more to help.

He added: "If they did that, they may find little need to go overseas to buy very expensive players because they've enrolled them in their own backyards."

The FA and Premier League said they invested millions of pounds into grassroots football every year.

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