HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN
THE GAME/WITH THE GAME? YOUR FOOTBALLING HISTORY?
I'm forty years old and have involved in football
for 30 years I guess. Played football at school, college and University.
I've been coaching since I was 16 - have coached all age groups from
Under 10 to adults. I currently have an Under 10 team which my son
plays in. Its fantastically rewarding coaching kids of that age group - they
are like sponges and they absorb EVERYTHING you tell them and the
enthusiasm is infectious.
I have also been Sport Editor for a local community Greek - English
Newspaper since 1999, focusing mainly on football. On the back of this I
attended the World Cup in Germany in 2006.
Because of my involvement with Eleftheria Newspaper,
I have been invited many times on TalkSport's Hawksbee and
Jacobs show to talk about Greek / Cypriot football - you could say I'm
their Greek football correspondent!
I am also a co-host of a football podcast - 'Shoot the Defence'. The
podcast was a finalist this year in the national podcast awards and
we have interviewed many journalists and ex-footballers.
HOW
CAN THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION HELP CLUBS/TEAMS AT GRASS ROOTS LEVEL?
Three ways - by ensuring the incredible financial rewards that
are enjoyed at the highest level are distributed more equitably
to grassroots. I've lost count how many pitches I seen that are simply not
adequate for young footballers to play on. Money should be used to set up a
network of 3G and 4G pitches for grassroots clubs to run and play.
For a sport that has so much money, grassroots level is in poverty. Can’t the
FA impose a 0.5% tax on ALL Premier League transfers and a 0.5% agents /
signing on fee tax that have to directly go to a grassroots fund that can be
bid for by grassroots clubs?
Secondly
rule changes at grassroots level. The retreat rule is a good idea to encourage
young teams to play from the back but it is rendered meaningless if goalkeepers
are allowed to boot it long. Certainly at U10 level and below (mini-soccer) GKs
should be banned from kicking it long. Also to produce a parent's charter where
which ALL parents have to sign and abide by at all age groups.
Lastly, that
FA coaching courses are cheaper or even free! Again, the game is AWASH with
money and yet coaching courses are the most expensive in the western Europe.
CAN
YOU AFFORD TO GO TO A PREMIER LEAGUE GAME? WHAT CAN BE DONE TO STOP PEOPLE
BEING PRICED OUT THE GAME AT THE TOP LEVEL - WILL TICKET PRICES JUST GO UP AND
UP AND UP?
With two
sons it has become impossible to go as regularly as much we would like. We are
London dwelling Manchester United fans and while I was at college and
University - i.e not working, I was regularly going home and away. Away ticket
prices are simply scandalous. I go as much as a I can afford but I only want to
go with my sons and this is now financially prohibited, especially compared
with ticket prices in the rest of Europe!
THE BEST THING ABOUT FOOTBALL? (AT TOP LEVEL AND YOUR LEVEL)
THE BEST THING ABOUT FOOTBALL? (AT TOP LEVEL AND YOUR LEVEL)
The tribal
rivalry. Nothing beats going to a game and beating your derby rivals. For 90
minutes there is a camaraderie between people who may have never met and yet
for those 90 minutes they are bonded by a common love, a common interest and
common goal. And a last minute winning goal? WOW.
At grassroots level the best thing is simply
watching the happiness that the game we love gives young footballers. The joy
they get from trying a trick, scoring a goal or pulling off a save. No agendas
just freedom to express themselves, loving the game for what it is -
an opportunity to play with
friends, exert energy and contribute to a collective endeavour.
Wonderful!
THE
WORST THING ABOUT FOOTBALL? (AT TOP LEVEL AND YOUR LEVEL)
The
financial excesses that have led to the game drifting away from the common fan.
It is still (just) the beautiful game, but it is less and less the game of
people.
At
grassroots level it is the cynicism exhibited by some parents, clubs who
believe that at (the non-competitive) level of U10 and below the game is about
winning. It is not. It is about development and ensuring young footballers are
taught good habits, rather than the kick it long and score a goal based on
percentages. This stifles development and encourages the insane English disease
that 'bigger is better' not allowing talent to flourish and excluding some
players from playing.
ONE
THING THAT COULD BE DONE TO HELP YOUNG PLAYERS DEVELOP BETTER AT A YOUNG AGE?
To be able
to play on pitches that are not more mud than grass and are flat. 4G pitches
for all please.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO GET A GAME ON IN RESPECT OF PITCH FEES/REFEREE FEES ETC? HOW MUCH HAS THIS INCREASED OVER THE YEARS?
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO GET A GAME ON IN RESPECT OF PITCH FEES/REFEREE FEES ETC? HOW MUCH HAS THIS INCREASED OVER THE YEARS?
I am lucky
to be involved to with a youth football club that deals with all the
financial aspects of running a youth football team. However I am aware that in
the adult league I was a manager in a few years ago teams needed at least £2000
a season to run a team and this has certainly increased over the years.
REFEREEING STANDARDS - ARE THEY GOOD, BAD OR JUST ABOUT RIGHT? ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO IMPROVE OR HELP REFEREES?
REFEREEING STANDARDS - ARE THEY GOOD, BAD OR JUST ABOUT RIGHT? ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO IMPROVE OR HELP REFEREES?
At the
professional level and at the highest level refereeing standards appear to have
dropped. Is this because they are highlighted more due to technology? There is
certainly no referee in world football that has the impact Pierluigi Collina
had when he was refereeing. What can be done? Maybe have referees travel all
over Europe to referee matches. It happens in the Champions League, why not at
domestic league level? Allows teams of referees, just like at international
level, to experience different leagues, different atmospheres and different
conditions.
ONE
THING YOU WOULDN'T CHANGE ABOUT THE GAME AND ONE THING YOU WOULD?
One change –
fix the offside law. Any player standing in the six-yard box should be deemed
as being interfering with play. Also have a 25 yard horizontal line (from the
goal line) which would indicate the START of any offside. Beyond this line,
towards the goal, the offside law is active. This would stretch the game
allowing more room in midfield for ball players to play.
No change –
keep penalty shootouts – love them. Excitement, drama and sudden death. One v
one; mental as well as physical and technical strength needed.
YOU CAN FOLLOW MICHAEL ON TWTTTER - @Delpieri
AND ALSO FOLLOW SHOOT THE DEFENCE PODCAST (WHICH IS WELL WORTH A LISTEN) - @ShootTheDefence
THANKYOU FOR TALKING TO THE COLD END MICHAEL AND BEST OF LUCK FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON AND BEYOND
No comments:
Post a Comment