Football is the biggest sport in the country and the world. It’s a family sport, and both boys and girls can play – indeed girls’ football is the fastest growing sport in the UK. It is easy to take up – all you need is a ball and a bit of space - and you don't need to be David Beckham to have a good time. It is also one of the main sports played in schools.

EQUIPMENT

A ball is enough to get going, but if your child plays at school or is going to play in matches, he/she will need football boots (with approved studs - check for the British kite mark) and shin pads. Clubs and schools tend to provide the ‘team strip’ - shirt, shorts and socks.

COUNTY FOOTBALL ASSOCIATIONS

There are 43 County Football Associations throughout the country. These are independent bodies affiliated to the FA and are responsible for the running of the game at local level. About 40,000 football clubs are affiliated to the County FA’s. They can let you know about your local clubs, mini-soccer and any activities or events promoting football in your area.

MINI-SOCCER

Mini-soccer is a version of the game for seven to 10 year-olds. Some local clubs play in mini-soccer leagues. Mini-soccer is a four-a-side game played by both boys and girls. It is played on smaller pitches and has smaller goals. It enables each player to have more touches on the ball, increasing participation, and so hopefully enjoyment and interest. The FA hopes that it will lead to more children playing the full game. The FA provides a full explanation of the rules and aims of Mini-soccer.

Mini-soccer festivals are one-day events organised by schools and clubs with several teams playing each other at one venue. Mini-Soccer Centres also arrange matches spread over several weeks – with different teams comprising different players each week.

For more information about the mini-soccer opportunities in your area contact the Mini-Soccer Coordinator at your local County Football Association. For information about girls’ teams contact the Women’s FA Hotline on .

LOCAL FOOTBALL CLUBS

If your child is interested in playing football outside school there are local clubs, which welcome juniors spread throughout the county. Contacting your local County FA is probably the best way to find out about the local clubs in your area, however you can search by county for the contact details of your local football clubs (except in Northern Ireland). You can search for teams playing Sunday football, non-League football, ladies’ football, youth football, and school football. E-Soccer also provides links to the club websites for regional, county and district teams and Sunday, pub and local teams in England.

If your child is under 10 years old there are opportunities to play Mini-Soccer throughout the country.

PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL CLUBS

All the clubs in the Premier and Football Leagues have a network of ‘scouts’ looking for talented young players at every level. They will select the players they would like to play for their junior sides. In order to attract their attention young players will be playing football at a high level – be it school, district or local club.

For more information about professional clubs, try these links:

Football League teams
Premiership, Divisions 1, 2 and 3 with links to their official website and other club related sites.
Non-League football teams
From the Football Conference, Ryman’s, Dr Marten’s, and Unibond leagues with links to their official website and other club related sites.

Many of these clubs will also offer coaching days or run soccer schools in the school holidays as commercial ventures. If you are interested in finding out about these contact the club directly.

FOOTBALL ACADEMIES

There are 39 Football Academies based at all the Premier League clubs and 18 Football League clubs. These academies bring together the best young players to give them the best coaching whilst continuing their education. Academies accept boys aged nine upwards.

CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE

The Football League clubs have established 53 Centres of Excellence, running programmes to help improve young players’ skills. Boys can attend these centres from aged nine to 16.

GIRLS’ FOOTBALL

With over 20,000 players and 35 Football Association Centres of Excellence in operation, girls’ football is starting to catch boys’ football up. Many schools now have girls’ teams – if not you can suggest it to a teacher. Some areas have local girls’ teams. For information about the clubs in your area get in touch with the FA's women's football hotline on . The FA site also has a list of women's football academies with contact information.

FOOTBALL IN SCOTLAND

Scottish Football Association
Hampden Park
Glasgow G42 9AY

Telephone:
Fax:
E-mail: info

Scottish Schools Football Association
The Scottish Junior Football Association
Scottish Youth Football Association

FOOTBALL IN WALES

Football Association Wales (FAW)

The FAW Football in the Community Trust website will launch soon and provide an A-Z list of the football development officers throughout Wales. They will be able to provide you with information about the football clubs and activities in your area. Contact Football in the Community Trust Ltd at:

3 Coopers Yard
Curran Road
Cardiff
CF1 5DF
Telephone:
E-mail: fawtrust

The FAW has an A-Z list of Welsh football clubs and their contact details.

FOOTBALL IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Irish Football Association

The Irish Football Association runs its own mini-soccer programme, introducing the game in schools throughout Northern Ireland. They also organise Fun Weeks – football coaching weeks for children – and can provide advice and help to help you find a local club for your child. Contact the Irish Football Association at:

20 Windsor Avenue
Belfast
BT9 6EE
Telephone:
E-mail: enquiries

FOOTBALL COURSES

According to the FA more than 130,000 children attend football holiday courses run by professional clubs. Disabled Children are welcome on such courses. For more information contact the Community Officer at your local professional club. The FA Premier League and Football League websites have the contact details for all the professional clubs.

SOCCER STARS SCHEME

The Soccer Stars scheme is a football proficiency scheme run by the FA. It is aimed at 6-16 year-olds and tests basic skills such as running, dribbling, shooting and heading. At the end of the tests each participant receives a one to six-starred certificate. The Soccer Stars scheme is available throughout the country from your local FA, sports centres, clubs and schools.

FOOTBALL COACHING HOLIDAYS

Football coaching holidays are available throughout the country. Various football courses and coaching schools are listed at the footballdirectory.co.uk.

PITCHES AND LEISURE CENTRES

It is possible to book pitches if you would like to organise a children’s game yourself. Try contacting your local school or leisure centre, as they often hire pitches out. A list of some pitches and leisure centres can be found at the Footballdirectory.co.uk site.

FOOTBALL FOR DISABLED CHILDREN

Although there are several local and national programmes run by disability sports organisations, football in the community, local authorities and volunteers, at present, there is no coordinated national structure offering high quality football from grassroots to representative level.

The Limbless Association

The Limbless Association runs an ongoing programme of sporting events – and in the past, has organised football coaching for disabled children supported by FA qualified football coaches.

The One-2-One Scheme

One 2 One Ability Counts is a new football development programme organised between the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS), One 2 One, the FA and Sportsmatch. It aims to provide more opportunities for disabled children to play football. More information about One 2 One Ability Counts is available on the EFDS website. For more information contact the EFDS (Telephone: ). They provide a list of regional contacts on their website.

Indoor Wheelchair Football

Indoor Wheelchair football is an adapted version of indoor football. It is played in local and national competitions. Ability Online has more details about the disability divisions, classification, equipment and rules of the game. For more information contact Ability Online (Telephone or e-mail Input) or your local authority or leisure centre.

National Multidisabled Football League

The National Multidisabled Football League became affiliated to the English Football Association in Sept 2001 and is now the nationally recognised football league for disabled football players. There are over 400 players registered. At the moment there is no league for the under 15s – however, a few big clubs do have youth teams for disabled children. Contact the NMFL on .

Paralympics

Athletes with cerebral palsy can play soccer at the Paralympics in a seven-a-side version of the game. The rules of the International Federation of Associated Football (FIFA) apply, with some modifications made to make the game more fun and accommodate the impairments of the athletes. For more information contact the British Paralympic Association on .

The contact details for the charities and organisations dedicated to sport for disabled children throughout the UK can be found in our section on Leisure for Disabled Children.

ORGANISATIONS

FIFA
The FA
Football Association Wales
Scottish FA
Irish Football Association

For more information about what’s going on in your area, visit your Local Authority’s website. It can provide details on activities, attractions and services available to you and your family.