ABSTRACT
It is easy to laugh and dismiss the antics of Mr Sudgen, the PE teacher in the 1969 Ken Loach film Kes, as he cuts a humiliating swathe through the defensive ranks of his pupils before unleashing a Bobby Charlton-style finish past a hapless keeper. In truth, however, there is probably an element of Mr Sugden in many if not most of those who have coached, managed or taught children to play football. I say this at the outset not to cause controversy or belittle the efforts of those people who toil for hours every week to create football opportunities for young people but because of my own involvement in the sport. Much as I would like to defend my contributions to children’s football, and demonstrate how I have consistently put young people first, it would be inappropriate for me to pretend that I have not been tempted at some stage to demonstrate my own, albeit limited, prowess on the pitch. Or to pretend that I haven’t enjoyed the ‘glory’ that the sport provides in various ways for those adults who lead or coach teams to league or cup successes. In other words, my own experience suggests that coaches operate with a range of motives. Some of these may well be altruistic but others may be more to do with the ego or status interests of the coaches concerned.
