This sort of connects to the points we've made about how our local scouting and recruitment needs to improve, because on the evidence of this we should be spoilt for choice:
Tony Barrett
Last updated at 12:01AM, March 28 2016
Liverpool children have a clear path to success but boys growing up in Cornwall will struggle. Tony Barrett reports
For Ross Barkley, it is simple. Asked why so many footballers emerge from Liverpool and its surrounds, the Everton midfielder cited genetics. “We’re a bit different to anyone else, aren’t we? We are aggressive, winners. It must be in our genes.” Whether due to nature, nurture or both, an investigation by The Times has revealed that Merseyside leads the way in producing players.
The study, designed to uncover which areas in England and Wales could be considered hotbeds of the game, was conducted in collaboration with the English National Football Archive and its results provide a geographical snapshot of those areas that have the best record of player production — and those that fall short. While Durham has the edge historically, over the past 15 years Merseyside has emerged as the clear frontrunner, with 315 players from the region playing for Football League and Premier League clubs during that period.
Applying per-head-of-population analysis to the statistics further underlines Merseyside’s influence on the national game, with 225 players being produced for every one million people. Cleveland, South Yorkshire, Greater London and Central and Greater Manchester make up the rest of the top five with Norfolk, West Sussex and Cornwall, in descending order, making up the bottom three. The question of why there are such glaring regional variations prompts numerous theories.
For Jack Walton, the FA’s regional coach development manager, what is occurring on Merseyside is “a perfect storm” featuring numerous complementary factors. “What it boils down to is opportunity and experience, and in both areas Merseyside scores highly,” Walton says. “If you look at the northwest of England, it has the most densely populated area of professional clubs on the planet. In Taunton, in the southwest, there are only around six professional clubs in a 90-minute radius.
“That in itself is an obvious advantage. It’s not just about coaching, although that’s obviously important, it’s also about having the opportunity to be spotted and the opportunity is obviously greater if you are in an area with more clubs.
“The question then is why does Merseyside excel in the northwest, and again there are a number of reasons. A key one is population, 500,000 is viewed as a sweet spot in terms of the ideal number to allow youngsters to test themselves against one another and that just happens to be the figure for Liverpool.
“In terms of park space, Liverpool is second only to London, so that enhances opportunity. Then you have the cultural issues, which everyone is aware of, particularly the sense of football being a religion on Merseyside, a feeling that is enhanced by having two successful clubs in one city and the rivalry and competitiveness that engenders.
“Football in Cornwall, at the other end of the spectrum, gets a lot of competition from rugby, but in Liverpool football is dominant. If you were to create a bespoke area for football development, Merseyside would be it.”
“It is something of a postcode lottery,” argues Bill Gerrard, professor of business and sports analytics at Leeds University. “In that respect, I’m not at all surprised by your findings. Geography is crucial. It goes further than just being spotted. If you live in a rural area in Cornwall or south Wales and you have a professional club that wants you to train with them, the logistics of getting to training make that commitment much greater than in other parts of the country.
“When I was coaching a team in Leeds, we were within one hour’s drive of Manchester United, Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers, Huddersfield Town and, obviously, Leeds United. It is much easier to commit to joining those clubs and training three or four times a week than it would be if you lived in more remote rural areas. On top of that, United had training stations at various locations along the M62 corridor and that undoubtedly helped parents and kids.
“Each area has its own unique factors. If you look at London, immigration plays a part just as it has done in Holland and other European countries. Crystal Palace’s academy, for example, once had strong links with a local immigration centre and they picked up several talented players from that relationship. That, again, is an advantage that other areas of the country do not enjoy.”
While opportunity from geography is clearly a key factor, Kieran Maguire, who lectures on football finance at the University of Liverpool, maintains that the influence of social background remains strong. “This matters,” he says. “Football is still predominately a working-class game. Middle-class kids still play football but will have a greater range of alternative activities and parents who are more likely to limit the amount of time the kids devote to football. Working-class families are more likely to see football as a career option for their son than someone from a wealthier background.
“Then you have population concentration. Large cities mean that there’s a lot of young players in a relatively small geographical area. This increases competitiveness and playing standards.”
With Merseyside scoring highly on all fronts, its position as the country’s premier football hotbed is assured, but the expectation is that it can and will perform even better. “There are areas for improvement,” Walton says. “If you look at Cleveland, one of the reasons that area does well is that it has one massive youth league and that makes it more likely that the children will be challenged appropriately.
“In Liverpool, by contrast, there are as many as 18 different youth leagues, and that makes it more difficult for children to be challenged similarly and leads to a lot of uncompetitive games that finish with big wins for one team. That could be better.
“So, too, could the number of games that the children play and that is one area that will definitely improve with the introduction of the new football hubs which will see 3G pitches opened in four locations across the city. That will lead to the number of games on 3G pitches being increased from 3 per cent to 50 per cent, and as a result the number of matches cancelled for bad weather will be reduced drastically and young players will get more opportunity to play,” Walton added.
“But there is more improvement to come throughout the country. Our team of grassroots, full-time coach developers increased from 16 to 40 last summer, so we now have a full-time coach educator working in each county. They are putting more coaches through courses that are more flexible and affordable.”
Merseyside may be out in front now, but if the FA’s long-term vision is realised, its status as the leader in the field will be challenged by areas throughout the country.
Case Study: Scott Dann
My earliest football memory is of playing in the street.
That’s the way it was where I grew up, in Kirkdale, not far from Anfield and Goodison Park. As soon as you were old enough you went out and played football with your mates.
When you left the house you could go one way and find a game, or a different way and find another. If there was a patch of grass, you’d find lads of all ages going at it.
Older lads wouldn’t take it easy on you. I realise now how important it was in terms of realising how competitive football is and how tough, mentally and physically, you have to be.
People talk about football being a religion in Liverpool but only if you’ve grown up in that kind of environment can you understand what that means. Football was a family thing for me, as for a lot of local kids. My dad, Richie, was a centre back with A1, an amateur team. When I wasn’t playing I’d watch his games, learning from what happened on and off the pitch.
I played for my school, Archbishop Beck, and for local teams The Farmers Arms and Orry’s. Even when you played lads who weren’t as good as your team, they wouldn’t give you an inch and it was even more competitive when you came up against mates.
That’s how we were brought up — to give absolutely everything — and that’s one of the main reasons so many players from Liverpool make it in the professional game.
Tony Barrett
Last updated at 12:01AM, March 28 2016
Liverpool children have a clear path to success but boys growing up in Cornwall will struggle. Tony Barrett reports
For Ross Barkley, it is simple. Asked why so many footballers emerge from Liverpool and its surrounds, the Everton midfielder cited genetics. “We’re a bit different to anyone else, aren’t we? We are aggressive, winners. It must be in our genes.” Whether due to nature, nurture or both, an investigation by The Times has revealed that Merseyside leads the way in producing players.
The study, designed to uncover which areas in England and Wales could be considered hotbeds of the game, was conducted in collaboration with the English National Football Archive and its results provide a geographical snapshot of those areas that have the best record of player production — and those that fall short. While Durham has the edge historically, over the past 15 years Merseyside has emerged as the clear frontrunner, with 315 players from the region playing for Football League and Premier League clubs during that period.
Applying per-head-of-population analysis to the statistics further underlines Merseyside’s influence on the national game, with 225 players being produced for every one million people. Cleveland, South Yorkshire, Greater London and Central and Greater Manchester make up the rest of the top five with Norfolk, West Sussex and Cornwall, in descending order, making up the bottom three. The question of why there are such glaring regional variations prompts numerous theories.
For Jack Walton, the FA’s regional coach development manager, what is occurring on Merseyside is “a perfect storm” featuring numerous complementary factors. “What it boils down to is opportunity and experience, and in both areas Merseyside scores highly,” Walton says. “If you look at the northwest of England, it has the most densely populated area of professional clubs on the planet. In Taunton, in the southwest, there are only around six professional clubs in a 90-minute radius.
“That in itself is an obvious advantage. It’s not just about coaching, although that’s obviously important, it’s also about having the opportunity to be spotted and the opportunity is obviously greater if you are in an area with more clubs.
“The question then is why does Merseyside excel in the northwest, and again there are a number of reasons. A key one is population, 500,000 is viewed as a sweet spot in terms of the ideal number to allow youngsters to test themselves against one another and that just happens to be the figure for Liverpool.
“In terms of park space, Liverpool is second only to London, so that enhances opportunity. Then you have the cultural issues, which everyone is aware of, particularly the sense of football being a religion on Merseyside, a feeling that is enhanced by having two successful clubs in one city and the rivalry and competitiveness that engenders.
“Football in Cornwall, at the other end of the spectrum, gets a lot of competition from rugby, but in Liverpool football is dominant. If you were to create a bespoke area for football development, Merseyside would be it.”
“It is something of a postcode lottery,” argues Bill Gerrard, professor of business and sports analytics at Leeds University. “In that respect, I’m not at all surprised by your findings. Geography is crucial. It goes further than just being spotted. If you live in a rural area in Cornwall or south Wales and you have a professional club that wants you to train with them, the logistics of getting to training make that commitment much greater than in other parts of the country.
“When I was coaching a team in Leeds, we were within one hour’s drive of Manchester United, Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers, Huddersfield Town and, obviously, Leeds United. It is much easier to commit to joining those clubs and training three or four times a week than it would be if you lived in more remote rural areas. On top of that, United had training stations at various locations along the M62 corridor and that undoubtedly helped parents and kids.
“Each area has its own unique factors. If you look at London, immigration plays a part just as it has done in Holland and other European countries. Crystal Palace’s academy, for example, once had strong links with a local immigration centre and they picked up several talented players from that relationship. That, again, is an advantage that other areas of the country do not enjoy.”
While opportunity from geography is clearly a key factor, Kieran Maguire, who lectures on football finance at the University of Liverpool, maintains that the influence of social background remains strong. “This matters,” he says. “Football is still predominately a working-class game. Middle-class kids still play football but will have a greater range of alternative activities and parents who are more likely to limit the amount of time the kids devote to football. Working-class families are more likely to see football as a career option for their son than someone from a wealthier background.
“Then you have population concentration. Large cities mean that there’s a lot of young players in a relatively small geographical area. This increases competitiveness and playing standards.”
With Merseyside scoring highly on all fronts, its position as the country’s premier football hotbed is assured, but the expectation is that it can and will perform even better. “There are areas for improvement,” Walton says. “If you look at Cleveland, one of the reasons that area does well is that it has one massive youth league and that makes it more likely that the children will be challenged appropriately.
“In Liverpool, by contrast, there are as many as 18 different youth leagues, and that makes it more difficult for children to be challenged similarly and leads to a lot of uncompetitive games that finish with big wins for one team. That could be better.
“So, too, could the number of games that the children play and that is one area that will definitely improve with the introduction of the new football hubs which will see 3G pitches opened in four locations across the city. That will lead to the number of games on 3G pitches being increased from 3 per cent to 50 per cent, and as a result the number of matches cancelled for bad weather will be reduced drastically and young players will get more opportunity to play,” Walton added.
“But there is more improvement to come throughout the country. Our team of grassroots, full-time coach developers increased from 16 to 40 last summer, so we now have a full-time coach educator working in each county. They are putting more coaches through courses that are more flexible and affordable.”
Merseyside may be out in front now, but if the FA’s long-term vision is realised, its status as the leader in the field will be challenged by areas throughout the country.
Case Study: Scott Dann
My earliest football memory is of playing in the street.
That’s the way it was where I grew up, in Kirkdale, not far from Anfield and Goodison Park. As soon as you were old enough you went out and played football with your mates.
When you left the house you could go one way and find a game, or a different way and find another. If there was a patch of grass, you’d find lads of all ages going at it.
Older lads wouldn’t take it easy on you. I realise now how important it was in terms of realising how competitive football is and how tough, mentally and physically, you have to be.
People talk about football being a religion in Liverpool but only if you’ve grown up in that kind of environment can you understand what that means. Football was a family thing for me, as for a lot of local kids. My dad, Richie, was a centre back with A1, an amateur team. When I wasn’t playing I’d watch his games, learning from what happened on and off the pitch.
I played for my school, Archbishop Beck, and for local teams The Farmers Arms and Orry’s. Even when you played lads who weren’t as good as your team, they wouldn’t give you an inch and it was even more competitive when you came up against mates.
That’s how we were brought up — to give absolutely everything — and that’s one of the main reasons so many players from Liverpool make it in the professional game.
