Teams have to build their own nets at Sunday League football at Harper Green
Amateur football is in crisis in Bolton.
While the cash cow that is the Premier League goes from strength to strength, amateur football in this proud sporting town is suffering.
At the turn of the century, there were four leagues in Bolton, supported by hundreds of local players.
However a change in the country's outlook is impacting on grassroots sport - and the nation's premier sport is suffering as much as any.
The Bolton Sunday League is one of the best run competitions in local sport, yet it has seen its numbers plummet. The abuse dished out to referees is turning off some teams, others have quit because the cost of hiring pitches is too high.
The simple fact that not as many people play team sports anymore is impacting hard.
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The future is uncertain for the Bolton Sunday League, and The Bolton News is investigating why.
The Bolton Sunday League is still very much an integral part of the community, but the number of people that it touches is dwindling by the day.
A small band of volunteers are valiantly keeping the league afloat, but what will happen when they give up?
It is inconceivable to think that amateur football - which has brought joy to so many local people throughout the years - is struggling to survive.
Having just read the article about the demise of local football we don't seem to have such a big problem in the Goldline Trophy which runs from July thro to the following March the competition goes from strength to strength and have Clubs clamouring to enter the competition. We have no problem appointing three officials to each game.
One point of interest was the report from Bob Hazeldean about Little Lever in the "Goldline" in 1995/6 the competition did not start till 1998, as this Monday coming is the tenth final of the Goldline Trophy. It would have been nice to put something positive in about Amateur Football with the participating clubs able to earn large sums of prize money, but the B News dont want to highlight the good things in local football only the negative lets be positive for a change.
Having just read the article about the demise of local football we don't seem to have such a big problem in the Goldline Trophy which runs from July thro to the following March the competition goes from strength to strength and have Clubs clamouring to enter the competition. We have no problem appointing three officials to each game.
One point of interest was the report from Bob Hazeldean about Little Lever in the "Goldline" in 1995/6 the competition did not start till 1998, as this Monday coming is the tenth final of the Goldline Trophy. It would have been nice to put something positive in about Amateur Football with the participating clubs able to earn large sums of prize money, but the B News dont want to highlight the good things in local football only the negative lets be positive for a change.
Posted by: Warren, Chew Moor on 6:37pm Wed 26 Mar 08
Can I firstly say that I believe that local football is actually on the UP!!!
You may think I dont know what I am talking about, but actually I am the General SEcretary of the Bolton, Bury and District Junior Football League (www.bbdjfl.org)
I can assure you that we have more clubs joining our league than ever before, this year we had 350 teams from Under 7s through to under 14s playing 7aside, 9aside and 11aside football.
We have mixed leagues, boys leagues and dedicated girls leagues.
Each year we move up an age group and as such next season will be offering Under 15s football, and as a result we estimate we will have around 400 teams in our league.
The reason for this is many, our set up is excellent and we have a vibrant committee working for and on behalf of all our member clubs. We have a strict NO FINES policy. We are the only league I know that has never fined a team or club since the leagues inception in 1996 and we have no intention of bucking that trend.
Thee cost of running football clubs grows year on year, but we at the BBDJFL will seek to ensure that clubs are not penalised financially, as we would rather advise, warn, deduct points, report to the FA and as a last resort expel clubs who misbehave.
The Lancashire FA reports that the Bolton and Bury District Junior Football League has the least number of discipline issues than ANY other local league, so our system appears to be working to some degree.
Our development of 9 v 9 football has also been a catalyst for increased participation for example, previously the league had say 40 teams who played 7 v 7 football at under 10s.
When they went to 11 v 11 football they would tend to merge teams and you ended up with around 20 11 v 11 teams at under 11s.
Any players on the fringes of a squad would be lost to the game.
Now though we have 7 v 7 football at under 10s, then clubs add a couple of players to there squads for 9 v 9 football at udner 11s and 12s and then when they reach under 13s add a couple more players so you end up with 40 teams playing 11 v 11. TWICE THE NUMBER!!
This has had the knock on effect of more coaches being brought into the game and more teams at the younger age groups being developed
EXAMPLE
This year we have 62 Under 10s teams playing 7 v 7 football (6 sections) and the early indications are that the vast mnajority will go 9 v 9. Which bodes well for when they get to under 13s when all go 11 aside.
Imagine a league with over 60 11 v 11 teams in it!!!
But as I said as we have got more success at the top end and clubs have grown and developed it has increased at the bottom end.
As in 1996 when we first started we would have around 5 or 6 under 7s and 8s teams, a couple of years ago we managed 20 or 24. Last year we had 34 under 7s teams join the league!!
If the growth continues at the same rate we expect to have around 38 under 7s teams next year plus a few other additions so like I said we will be up to around 400 teams playing each week.
The only downside to this success has been pitches,as the Bolton, Bury and District area is at full capacity now for pitch useage on a Saturday morning, and we are working with the local authority and the Lancashire FA to come up with a suitable solution.
Football has never really been this strong in years in the Bolton, Bury and District areas. We intedn to ensure that this continues to develop and hopefully the knock on effect will be full development of, Junior, Youth and Adult football again in this area on Saturday mornings, Saturday afternoons AND Sunday mornings and Suinday afternoons
Regards
Warren Barlow
General Secretary
BBDJFL
Can I firstly say that I believe that local football is actually on the UP!!!
You may think I dont know what I am talking about, but actually I am the General SEcretary of the Bolton, Bury and District Junior Football League (www.bbdjfl.org)
I can assure you that we have more clubs joining our league than ever before, this year we had 350 teams from Under 7s through to under 14s playing 7aside, 9aside and 11aside football.
We have mixed leagues, boys leagues and dedicated girls leagues.
Each year we move up an age group and as such next season will be offering Under 15s football, and as a result we estimate we will have around 400 teams in our league.
The reason for this is many, our set up is excellent and we have a vibrant committee working for and on behalf of all our member clubs. We have a strict NO FINES policy. We are the only league I know that has never fined a team or club since the leagues inception in 1996 and we have no intention of bucking that trend.
Thee cost of running football clubs grows year on year, but we at the BBDJFL will seek to ensure that clubs are not penalised financially, as we would rather advise, warn, deduct points, report to the FA and as a last resort expel clubs who misbehave.
The Lancashire FA reports that the Bolton and Bury District Junior Football League has the least number of discipline issues than ANY other local league, so our system appears to be working to some degree.
Our development of 9 v 9 football has also been a catalyst for increased participation for example, previously the league had say 40 teams who played 7 v 7 football at under 10s.
When they went to 11 v 11 football they would tend to merge teams and you ended up with around 20 11 v 11 teams at under 11s.
Any players on the fringes of a squad would be lost to the game.
Now though we have 7 v 7 football at under 10s, then clubs add a couple of players to there squads for 9 v 9 football at udner 11s and 12s and then when they reach under 13s add a couple more players so you end up with 40 teams playing 11 v 11. TWICE THE NUMBER!!
This has had the knock on effect of more coaches being brought into the game and more teams at the younger age groups being developed
EXAMPLE
This year we have 62 Under 10s teams playing 7 v 7 football (6 sections) and the early indications are that the vast mnajority will go 9 v 9. Which bodes well for when they get to under 13s when all go 11 aside.
Imagine a league with over 60 11 v 11 teams in it!!!
But as I said as we have got more success at the top end and clubs have grown and developed it has increased at the bottom end.
As in 1996 when we first started we would have around 5 or 6 under 7s and 8s teams, a couple of years ago we managed 20 or 24. Last year we had 34 under 7s teams join the league!!
If the growth continues at the same rate we expect to have around 38 under 7s teams next year plus a few other additions so like I said we will be up to around 400 teams playing each week.
The only downside to this success has been pitches,as the Bolton, Bury and District area is at full capacity now for pitch useage on a Saturday morning, and we are working with the local authority and the Lancashire FA to come up with a suitable solution.
Football has never really been this strong in years in the Bolton, Bury and District areas. We intedn to ensure that this continues to develop and hopefully the knock on effect will be full development of, Junior, Youth and Adult football again in this area on Saturday mornings, Saturday afternoons AND Sunday mornings and Suinday afternoons
Posted by: weonly8manu, bolton on 6:17am Thu 27 Mar 08
this article suggests that all local amatuer football is going down the pan which isnt the case.
junior football is now bigger than it ever was when i was a kid and the local "saturday" teams are all still going strong.
yes sunday league football is on the way down and has been for many years and for a number of resons.
i managed a well known team up till 4 years ago. at the time when i stopped we could no longer attract new players or afford to pay all the fees etc etc. it wasnt the leagues fault, they did all they could, but what the council charged for the pitches was redicoulous.
this is merely the bolton sunday league making a final plea before the inevitable happens.
however money is not the only reason. bolton man u etc all regularly playing on sundays. more people no longer working the standard monday/friday etc.
there must be 200+ teams playing at leverhulme park and bolton arena every week. 5 a side is now more popular than ever due to the investment in the facilities.
think about it. 90 mins freezing, covered in mud rainsoaked feet and strip OR 20 mins each way non stop on a mud free pitch with goals galore?
test cricket OR 20/20 cricket?
unfortunately its just a sign of the times.
one final note. the people who run the bolton sunday league deserve knighthoods.
this article suggests that all local amatuer football is going down the pan which isnt the case.
junior football is now bigger than it ever was when i was a kid and the local "saturday" teams are all still going strong.
yes sunday league football is on the way down and has been for many years and for a number of resons.
i managed a well known team up till 4 years ago. at the time when i stopped we could no longer attract new players or afford to pay all the fees etc etc. it wasnt the leagues fault, they did all they could, but what the council charged for the pitches was redicoulous.
this is merely the bolton sunday league making a final plea before the inevitable happens.
however money is not the only reason. bolton man u etc all regularly playing on sundays. more people no longer working the standard monday/friday etc.
there must be 200+ teams playing at leverhulme park and bolton arena every week. 5 a side is now more popular than ever due to the investment in the facilities.
think about it. 90 mins freezing, covered in mud rainsoaked feet and strip OR 20 mins each way non stop on a mud free pitch with goals galore?
test cricket OR 20/20 cricket?
unfortunately its just a sign of the times.
one final note. the people who run the bolton sunday league deserve knighthoods.
Not enough lads are interested in playing open aged Football ,and that is a problem Nationwide.
When I played it was school teams ,and the next step was the local Bolton,Warrington, or Leigh Leagues.
With all the hype today with kids football ,when most of them realise they are not going to play for Manchester United,they pack the game in for good.
In my day the only scouts you saw were of the Baden Powell variety.
We played for the love of the game,and I miss playing even now in my fifties.
Not enough lads are interested in playing open aged Football ,and that is a problem Nationwide.
When I played it was school teams ,and the next step was the local Bolton,Warrington, or Leigh Leagues.
With all the hype today with kids football ,when most of them realise they are not going to play for Manchester United,they pack the game in for good.
In my day the only scouts you saw were of the Baden Powell variety.
We played for the love of the game,and I miss playing even now in my fifties.
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