ABSTRACT
We have seen in previous chapters that children’s football has been reborn. Gone is the informality of free play in the street or the park. Instead, the new incarnation of football is characterized by regulation, organization, and a determination to create ‘safe’, ‘structured’ and ‘child-friendly’ environments. Given the apparent expansion of the junior version of the sport that took place during the 1990s, following the publication of the FA’s Charter for Quality, it seems safe to say that this growing activity is well into its adolescence. However, just like many other teenagers, children’s football is discovering that parents can be the source of all manner of problems. Despite being essential, they are also frequently embarrassing. Despite providing in all sorts of ways, they are invariably both pushy and provocative.
