ABSTRACT
For many reasons, which have to do with the nature of control, authority and relationships, soccer within school and the junior club is often a quite different game. Much of the conflict between club and school had then to do with the way that 'competition' had been translated by the clubs into heavy league and cup programmes. Both club and school were responsible for fostering dissent among young players and this had much to do with the nature of the relationships between teachers and club managers. Essentially, this relationship was one of conflict, arising out of a mutual suspicion and jealousy, a deep disagreement over the aims and values of soccer and a fundamental lack of communication between school and club. The young player's experience of soccer is far from homogeneous, it differs inside and outside of the school. The school simply presented the game to them defined in the school's terms, with little room for negotiation.
