Running, Running, Running
By Andy McPherson - (@2NarMe)
1986 saw the return of the
magnificent seven from
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
onto television screens
across the United
Kingdom. The muchloved characters who hit
our screens in 1983 on a
building site in Dusseldorf
were back and as brilliant
as ever. Angry, yet
sentimental about the
country which had left
them unemployed under
Thatcher’s regime,
the lad’s set about
fixing up a country
house in Derbyshire
for crooked
businessman, Ally Frazer.
A scene from
Series 2, episode 8 called
“Marjorie doesn’t live here
anymore” shows separated
father Oz (Jimmy Nail)
attend his estranged son’s
U10 football match on the
school field. Unfortunately
for Oz, his son’s stepdad,
Sandro from Milano is also
in attendance and says;
“In England
always long ball. Running,
Running, Running... Peh,
peh, peh... You look at these
boys, they 8, 9, 10 years
old, all they do is play on a
grown up field... It’s too
big, all they learn about is
space …
Running, running,
running. In Italy they play
26
on the streets, they play on
the pitch, they learn to pass
it, they learn to control it,
and they learn to hold the
ball...”
I remember that, 9
years old playing on a full
sized pitch, in full sized
goals with a size 5 ball.
Fucking mental, it was. If
the ball was in the midfield,
it would stay there for a
good few minutes. If your
‘keeper caught the ball the
coach/teacher would shout
“Boot it out”. If a 50/50
was happening I remember
shouts of “Do him”. The
leather Mitre Delta size 5
ball was far too big for 8
year olds and if you did
manage to get a shot on
target it was either too weak
due to the weight of the ball
or definitely in due to a 3ft
6inch, 8 year old ‘keeper
unable to navigate his way
around a full size goal.
You can see it now
throughout English
football. The coaching and
development our 25 year
old + players received was
sub-standard and based
around pace and power
alone. Something had to
change, and slowly but
surely it is. Look at Michael
Owen as an example; he
had unbelievable pace as a
youth which allowed him to
stand out and flourish,
however when that pace
evaporated he was incapable
of playing at the highest
level. Poor touch, movement
of an amateur and lacked
any ability to bring others
into play.
My son plays U8
football and the rules and
set-up is infinitely better for
children’s development now
compared to 20 years ago.
They play on a pitch that is
40 x 30 (yards) and with
goalpost’s 12ft x 6ft with a
size 3 ball. We played on a
pitch 110 x 70 Yards and
with goalpost’s 24ft x 8ft
with a size 5 ball. Smaller
pitches encourage more on
touch, control and passing
and less emphasis on
“running, running, running”.
The English FA
have fallen in line with other
Football Associations to aid
the development of our kids
and give them more of a
chance to grow gradually.
They’re also looking at
introducing a retreat line, to
encourage ‘keepers to play it
out from the back rather than
boot it up, cutting out the
defence and midfield and
hoping the fast, tall striker
can do something with it.
This season it is mandatory
for U7’s to play 5-a-side and
for the 2014/2015 season
it’ll be mandatory for both
U7 and U8’s to play on a 5-
bridge the gap and give our
next generation the chance
to achieve.
As a Newcastle
United follower I’ve been
deprived of enjoyment with
professional football for the
best part of my life and over
the last 2 years have found
solace in watching the
development of our junior
side.
If you’re watching your
child’s game replace the
shout of “You should’ve
done ....” to “Well done”. We
need our next generation to
enjoy the sport and not have
adults living their dream
through an 8 year old child.
When my son asks “Why
does Mike Williamson keep
kicking it over Cabaye’s
head to Cisse?” I
struggle to give an
appropriate answer
other than discuss the
coaching he received as
a youth and the coaching he
is receiving now.
I imagine going
back 30 years; Oz’s son
would’ve loved Mike
Williamson’s no nonsense
approach. Fortunately, our
youth of today realise it’s not
the way the game should be
played.
We have the talent. There’s
no question about it.
27
a-side pitch. Again,
encouraging more touches
and time on the ball. I see
U8’s struggling with the 7a-side pitch dimensions still,
so how we performed on an
11-a-side pitch is a mystery.
We coped. We didn’t
flourish.
We’re miles behind
Spain and other countries
when it comes to developing
talent, but this can only get
better with the introduction
of ‘Mini-Soccer’.
I witness a lot of
the aims of ‘Mini Soccer’
being undone every week
with coaches shouting at 7
year old children, a win at
all costs attitude and the
worst thing ever heard to a
junior of “What was that?”
and “What you doing,
man?” cropping up
occasionally. Fortunately
I’ve allowed my son to play
for a club with the right
attitude on development and
a ‘Play with a smile’ ethos.
I hear people say
“We don’t have the talent in
this country”, which is total
shit. We do have the talent.
We’ve always had the
talent, but we don’t allow it
to flourish in the right
environment.
It’ll take a long
time to reach the standards
of Spain, Germany, Brazil
and Argentina on the
National stage, but at a
junior level we can help