The FA Facilities Fund continues its funding of beleaguered grassroots clubs
Another 80 grassroots facilities across England are set to benefit from over £5.6m worth of investment. The fund, managed by the Football Foundation has generated a further £12m as a result of the partnership with the FA and the Government via Sport England, which...
Strikers Beyond
With The Ball The striker moves in the same direction as the ball followed by a diagonal run meeting a straight pass. Against The Ball The striker moves in the opposite direction to the ball followed by a diagonal pass meeting a straight run. Main Practice ...
We catch up with Kick It Out’s Season of Action and see how you can get involved
Kick It Out has been battling inequality in football for over 20 years and is now well into its second ‘Season of Action’, with a special focus on grassroots and community football. The ultimate aim of the Season of Action is to provide a greater opportunity to...
Crossing and Finishing Practices
Practice 1. Structure: -Use half a pitch . Pattern -CM starts with the ball. -CM passes out to either wing. -The wingers pass back inside to the same supporting CM. -The CM then switches play to the other winger. -That winger in possession then travels with...
The FA People’s Cup is Coming Very Soon!
The FA People's Cup, in partnership with the BBC’s Get Inspired, is a new 5 a side football competition which launches on 14th January 2015. It’s a knockout competition just like the professional FA Cup and welcomes male, female and disability players with categories...
1v1, 2v2 Tournament
Stage 1 1v1s White v Blue Pitch 1 White v Blue Pitch 2 Rules: -First to score 10 goals. -Whoever wins gets a point for their team. Stage 2. 2v2 White v Blue Rules: -First to score 10 goals. -Whatever team wins get the point. ...
FA Opens Grow the Game scheme
A total of £1.5million of funding has been set aside to boost teams that cater for under-represented groups. The Grow the Game scheme intends to increase participation in grassroots football by giving financial support to clubs that field teams with women and girls;...
Every Training Session Of 2014
To view or download every training session of 2014- Click Here. https://www.discountfootballkits.com/blog/louis/louislancs2014sessions.pdf Louis' coaching philosophy can be summed up by the following: ‘Relish the chaos and make uncomfortable comfortable’. You can view...
Mel Woodards’ Inspirational Story Of How Grassroots Football Saved Her Life
Mel Woodards has recently been awarded the Helen Rollason Award for Inspiration and has even received a special citation from David Cameron - but she hasn’t always been so appreciated. For years she suffered terrible abuse by her husband and lived in constant fear of...
Recovery Session
Practice 1. Structure: Set up the area as above suiting the needs of your players and numbers available. Rules: Three teams. It is the first team to hit their pole. The first players attempts to hit the pole. They then run to the pole to receive the next pass. The...
Birmingham City Launches Grassroots Ticketing Initiative to Help Local Clubs
Birmingham City Football Club has for a long time been hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Finally they have some good news to report – their grassroots football ticketing initiative has just begun and many at the club are hopeful that their fortunes will...
Finishing Practices
Session 1. Structure: -Set up the area as above suiting the needs of your players. You can use our football bibs to split up your players. Rules: -The blue player plays a one two with the white player, ending with the blue player taking a shot at goal. -The white...
Intense, Enjoyable Session Starters
Session 1. Structure: Set up the practice as shown in the diagram. Change the distance depending on your aims. Rules: Blues defend and whites attack 1v1. The blue defender passes the ball to white to start the practice. The whites then pass the ball around the...
Crossing and Finishing
Practice 1: Structure: Set up the area as above suiting the needs of your players and numbers available. Rules: Blues and whites fight in the middle. You can use our football bibs to split the teams. In the middle they are only allowed a maximum of 5 passes, the ball...
4 Storylines to Watch Out for in the Premier League This Weekend
We've barely been able to catch our breath following an enticing slate of midweek Capital One Cup action, and here we are on the verge of another exciting Premier League weekend. The slate looks enticing to say the least, with Newcastle United taking on Liverpool, a...
Defensive concerns must be addressed quickly by Champions League-chasing Liverpool
Liverpool seem to be surrounded by a lot of negativity at present—a heavy defeat to Real Madrid, Mario Balotelli, poor performances, Mario Balotelli, etc—but the way other teams have started the season means that with things taken at face value they are actually in a...
Who Would You Send Off? Boris vs Rooney
Everyone who has ever played grassroots football has been on the receiving end of some bad challenges. That's why we are looking to you- the grassroots community, to let us know which of the following fouls you think was worse. You get the final say, who would you...
Passing and Receiving Drills
It's not often we look at drills rather than more open practices, but here is wheat Louis had to say on the six passing and receiving drills below. "In both passing and receiving drills, whoever releases the ball follows their pass. I fully understand players may find...
Ross Barkley’s Impending Everton Return Helps the Team All Over the Pitch
Everton have endured a rough start to the 2014-15 season, with results, air miles and late-game lapses all contributing to a current 17th-placed standing in the Premier League table. After fending off interest for any of their players during the summer, then retaining...
Greg Dyke: ‘Grassroots In Crisis’
Greg Dyke has this week declared grassroots football to be “in a degree of crisis” after the publication of the second part of the FA’s England Commission showed English football to be “miles behind” the likes of Holland and Germany. And harking back to an old...
Premier League Champions Mental Health
The pressure on Premier League academy football players to become professional is enormous. The expectations of families, friends and coaches weigh heavy on the minds of many 16, 17 and 18 year old lads struggling for their place at the top level. The rewards for...
Fun Warm Up Games
We have a new range of Mitre water bottles available to help keep your players hydrated during training. These fun warm up games are the perfect way to start any training session - devised by the current Watford U16's coach. Swedish Hand Ball Structure: -Set up the...
Aston Villa Fans Would Be Wise to Temper Benteke Expectations…for Now
Aston Villa fans will rightly feel they simply cannot catch a break when it comes to injuries. The news that Christian Benteke will return to the matchday squad—provided all is well in Friday's training!—was offset by the sickening revelation that Libor Kozak will be...
Passing to feet – Passing to space
Practice 1. Structure: -Set up the area as above suiting the needs of your players and numbers available. - For this practice you can use pop up goals. Rules: -The blues are attacking in the front zone with the whites defending. -If the whites score 3 times in the...
Performance Nutrition – What Should You Eat and Drink?
As we all know, proper hydration and nutrition is essential for good performance in football. Most of us have an idea of what’s required when it comes to eating right and staying healthy; however, where we often fall down is sticking to this plan – usually out of...
Playing Out From The Back
You can view another training session based around playing out from the back here. Practice 1. Structure: -To keep it as realistic as possible use half the pitch. -Good ball supply. Rules: -The game can start with a goal kick, coach sending it in to any white player...
Scotland may still be part of the UK but auld football rivalries die hard
By Jack Stacey of Discount Football Kits In light of the recent vote on Scottish Independence we’ve decided to preview the upcoming Scotland v England friendly that will be held at Celtic Park – and to take a wistful look back at the oldest football fixture in the...
Chelsea’s midfield can win them the match—and the title—over Manchester City
One of the biggest games of any Premier League season will always be when the favourites for the title clash, and that will be the scene at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday when Manchester City host Chelsea. Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Last season’s league winners...
Possession In The Final Third
Practice 1. Structure Set up the area as above suiting the needs of your players and numbers available. Play around with various formations. Rules The attackers collect a ball and attack the goal. They obviously are trying to score in the goal. If the defenders win...
Non-League Day: Weekend Starting 06.09.14
Non-League Day is an initiative to encourage football fans to attend local amateur and semi-professional matches in a bid to support grassroots football. Founded by James Doe in 2010, and actually a whole weekend rather than a day, NLD has gained popularity with MPs,...