Jim White does not spend his Sunday mornings in the comfort of his bed. No. Flanked by mums, dads and same sex partners, he is marching up and down a soggy football pitch managing the under 14s Northmeadow Youth.
“Just look at him the touchline Wally. What kind of figure does he think he is cutting, with his shouty red face and his jabby finger? There he is, overheated and overexcited, as if what is going on is the final of the Champions League.”
The Daily Telegraph journalist tells the hilarious tales of a season coaching this crew of pubescent teens, from the highs and mainly lows, to a trip to Holland and the ins and outs of being a reluctant Chairman.
The Beautiful game becomes far from it at times; with irate parents shouting abuse at their kids and the financial strife of attempting to keep youth teams afloat while parents will desperately avoid eye contact to dodge taking on a role. While elite football might be thriving, youth football is struggling.
White has produced a book that is universal in its appeal. Everyone who has played football or taken their children will relate to the at times laugh out loud stories of ‘dog turd’ on the pitch and over enthusiastic referees.
Football has become a global brand, with over 26 billion people watching the 2006 World Cup and over 200 countries affiliated with FIFA. Football is governed and controlled rigidly by those in suits. While it is undeniable corruption, media influence and ownership restrict professional football, Jim White explores the grassroots levels, and surprising is how much politics come into play.
White utilises the youth team to draw attention to issues surrounding football today. The game becomes a microcosm of society, a way to confront issues of in a seemingly harmless setting.
Football is globally consumed on a regular basis. Tightly regulated and controlled by the media. The media undercurrent is ever present, just below the surface; White explores this, showing how the media inevitably influence young people. In particular through the celebrations of the team, copied masterfully from the television. Young people are susceptible to the media and modelled by it. A serious matter, if players behave incorrectly, children are sure to duplicate it. “We can all agree what’s gone wrong. The trouble is a lack of respect has seeped down from the top.”
Yet it is not only the young who are influenced. The behaviour of White and the parents emphasise the power football has over human behaviour. “Rule number one is that youth football is second only to Stella Artois in its ability to change adult behaviour for the worse.”
As White says “sport is at its core an elitist business.” The financial woes faced by White and his committee at the club are a sure example of this. Football is a costly business, generating huge revenue. Money influences the management of clubs. There is not enough money in grassroots football, no commitment from the FA to help exhausted parents and volunteers. There is a lengthening gap of inequality between the elite and lower levels of football, which is presented by White.
Globalisation has led to many clubs looking overseas for talent. Yet there are youth teams battling it out heartily every Sunday in England who are not given a chance to develop past their teenage years. Class has led to ostracising young players who have talent. This has led to a loss of identity. Football no longer has differing national identities, but a global one.
Taping up has caused chaos in football, the Ashley Cole fiasco was torn apart by the media. Yet this idea can be seen in football from such a young age. Lee, a player on the team, is tapped up by a bigger club, but cast aside because he is injury prone, therefore not a worthwhile investment.
In addition to this White effortlessly draws parallels between youth and professional football addressing the burgeoning problem of match fixing. The parent who is taking on the linesman role, who doesn’t call an obvious offside, the stand-in referee who has a son on one of the teams, or a quick £10 slipped to the official.
The book is a learning curve. Throughout White develops as a manger, while endeavouring to stay connected to his son, Barney, who is on the team. A tale of the incredible way that football can create a bond between father and son. White fashions a book which could also be sold as an educational how to/how not to coach a kids team.
With clarity he shows the need for youngsters to exercise and to develop. The 21st century has produced a generation who are more likely to squander their Sunday mornings asleep, and spend their time on “facebook” and “bebo” or other media related commodities rather than communicating with their family and staying active. Away from the glitz and glamour of Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge it is harder to tie players down.
The problem has worsened, as football is becoming a middle class pastime. It is not as accessible to the working classes. Talents are not being nurtured. White’s revelations, contribute to issues permeating society today. Is it any wonder England struggle to find talent for the future?
The media has also played a part in ostracising sports. Its dominated coverage of football has caused other sports to be less popular. White tells of how he didn’t like to play lacrosse. “In a damp Mancunian winter, when the hands are raw with cold, it seemed a particularly unnecessary game.”
At the centre of sport lies a power struggle. The media has vast power in shaping the face of sport, controlling viewing and manipulating attitudes.
Not only is the media driven by power but so is White himself; a managerial position produces an elixir of power, which could tempt anyone. A key question throughout is whom White does it for; the team or himself?
White has been granted access to the likes of Brian McClair, Ron Atkinson and Bobby Robson through his job. A clear indication of the role the media plays in football. Access is granted to those with the power to influence. The fans are not seen as important in the power struggle between the media and football governing bodies.
Youth football is proven to be a product of professional football, beseeched with similar problems. Inherent within the book is the underlining issue of power. Who ever has it, controls the game. White explores the essence of football, without the cameras, the media influence and the huge amounts of money at stake and still the same issues remain. Underneath the humour and the outrageous stories lies a feeling of unease. The issues of today’s football have tainted that of the grassroots levels. Through media exposure and globalisation of football
“Long live Northmeadow Youth.”
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