HELLO

Hello and welcome to our very first national edition of The

Grassroots Post. If you’ve been picking us up across London and the South East over the past year or so, then nothing changes. We’ll still be championing the very best of grassroots football, shining a light on the innumerable positive, inclusive and inspirational stories from across the greatest amateur football scene in the world, while sharing educational pieces that can make us all better volunteers, coaches, managers, players and supporters. Only now, we’ll be covering more.

If you're new to us, then the above is exactly what we do. Grassroots football is so much more than muddy pitches and big tackles and swearing at the ref, as it is so often depicted. Its social and economic value stands at a staggering £10.16bn. The women’s, veterans, small-sided, disability and walking games are exploding in numbers, with more people finding a place for themselves, whatever their ethnicity, gender or ability. There truly is something for everyone and we aim to ensure that people understand that. The social, physical and mental benefits of joining a team are endless. And even if committing to a team isn’t possible for you, there are a wealth of opportunities to get involved in the small-sided game.

Across our first year, we’ve covered stories that involve players from the ages of five to eighty-five. Players who have had to leave the game behind due to a medical diagnosis and found themselves flourishing by taking on media responsibilities for their team. Volunteers who work tirelessly across the week to ensure the grassroots experience is the best it possibly can be for their club or community. Disability football teams that have changed the lives of their members and families by providing that weekly space for fun, acceptance and enjoyment.

We want to provide a platform for these stories and we’re incredibly excited to be doing this now on a national level. I hope you enjoy our first national issue, and I hope you take something from it that either inspires you to dust off the boots, get your first pair, or improves your experience or perception of grassroots football in this country. It’s a beautiful, beautiful game. And it’s for everyone.