General Twitter Thread

[Alex]

[ame]https://twitter.com/br_uk/status/424248874723590144[/ame]

[Le Chef]

https://twitter.com/br_uk/status/424248874723590144

WTF

[Alex]

He literally bust a bollock for the cause.

[Muddled]

I love the Sterling - Januzaj comparison.

On the flip side, it's quite frustrating that the media are tripping over superlatives for Januzaj, yet they don't celebrate a homegrown talent coming. Yeah, it's great for us that his performances are going under the radar and there is no more added pressure, but it shows how clueless today's commentators and so called 'football experts' are.

[Alex]

He was getting it last season at the start. They just love the next big thing. Once he is chewed up and spit out again. Itll be some other poor sod.

[Muddled]

A fair comment. Perhaps my blind hatred of Januzaj and Manchester United clouds my judgement.

Still, I'm going to use it as a stick to beat Michael Owen with next time he spoofs on BT Sport.

[Boogs]

grassroots football, abuse death threats and dwindling numbers

All the money that's in footballs top flight really does need to be directed down to this level. It really does go to show how bad the English FA are and if the want England to ever win anything they really need to sort the funding at grassroots level.

It would also be great to see players who have come though these channels and played at the top level trying to do something about it. I'm not talking about funding them but at least recognising the problems and bringing them to the public eye.

[john316]

Why would pumping more money in make people less psychotic? Spending money won't help foolish parents from acting like dickheads when watching their kids play at these lower levels. I get it on the pitch costs though and just putting off groups of people from even wanting to play. Should be subsidised by the FA to stop them getting to stupid levels. Kids though are just playing less though nowadays and even if these facilities were free, its not going to suddenly massively increase the uptake.

[Muddled]

A good read, Boogar - and a very good point that's raised too. I stopped playing Sunday League around four years ago; what used to be a good game of football in the morning and an afternoon/evening in the pub with players from *both* teams, soon started to turn nasty.

We've had matches when there has been altercations from spectators, players just out to hurt anybody ... we even had an incident locally with a player sent off for violent conduct who returned with a samurai sword. It's crazy now - grudges would be left to stew for six months and it started turning into an excuse for a ruckus. I'm glad I stopped when I did.

I think an element of Sunday League struggling is down to the floundering pub industry; with public houses closing, local communities are reliant on somebody having the facilities available (both pitch and for training). We've had games called off because of travellers setting up site and your usual dog **** in the centre circle and this is before you start looking at the cash required for all the fees, etc. With pubs closing, the radius of your games expand and people are expected to fund extra travel - there's a whole host of issues.

Then you look at the next generation of players coming through. I used to be out every night kicking a ball until it was so dark, I couldn't see the ball. I kicked a ball to school, played in morning, lunch and afternoon break, kicked the ball home and played locally - I am not just talking me, I'm sure we (pretty much) all did it- how often do you see that today? Perhaps hobbies have changed or parents are scared of what people seem to be capable of these days that safety comes first .. I dunno.

[Boogs]

I'm not saying money will stop parents behaving like ****s.

Actually buying space and having more areas to play football which are managed. The cost of an under 10 side going from £400 to £1200 is ridiculous amount. Places like the 'goals' 5 a side outfits which are well set up and everyone I've been to is always rammed but with older lads. They closed hackney fields which had loads of pitches for the Olympics. I bet they have not put it back the way it was or improved the facilities there (Legacy my arse). I believe it is now much smaller.

Mudd's, your last paragraph is so true but it's not a safe environment anymore. Too many cars around, lots of odd people who are into weird **** has put pay to kids bouncing a ball on your wall driving your mum mad.
They need to do something and to facilitate these large open areas making them more secure and having a set up which would have CCTV.

Investment is needed at this level to enable kids to feel the love of the game that many have experience previously

[Bender]

SKY SOURCES: Blackpool manager Paul Ince holding talks with Chairman Karl Oyston over his future. More on #SSN

[Reece]

That's looking quite a long way off being finished....

[Shaggy]

What a shambles. At this stage both of the next two World Cups look an utter shambles.

[meffin]

Absolute farce, FIFA are more corrupt than UK politicians

[dom9]

I love the Sterling - Januzaj comparison.

On the flip side, it's quite frustrating that the media are tripping over superlatives for Januzaj, yet they don't celebrate a homegrown talent coming. Yeah, it's great for us that his performances are going under the radar and there is no more added pressure, but it shows how clueless today's commentators and so called 'football experts' are.

Like a reversal of the usual football writers' 'xenophobia'?

I think you're reading too much into that one.