Last month The Journal published the first in a series of articles debating the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s public consultation on the survival of community sport. The DCMS Committee wants to identify specific actions the Government can take to guarantee the future survival of the community sports sector.

Local sports enthusiast, Dave Wilkinson, who has been closely involved in football since the 1960s, has shared with The Journal the submission he made to the DCMS Committee, based on his experience of dealing with the Football Association. This week we consider the biggest risks to the long-term viability of grassroots football.

Dave writes: “There are a number of risks to the viability of grassroots football, primarily a decreasing number of people playing the game. This trend filters through to every level of the game, both recreational and competitive. Participation is a key responsibility of the FA, but there has been a tendency in recent years to cover up the loss of men’s eleven-a-side players, by promoting other aspects of the game, such as: women’s football, disability football and walking football.

“The environmental impact of the game is also an important consideration, as players become increasingly resistant to travelling long distances to play league fixtures, at a time when Leagues in the South West of England in particular are becoming geographically much more widespread. The increase in the travel distance brings with it both a financial and ecological burden as we become increasingly aware of the carbon footprint such journeys creates.

“Fundamentally, football’s greatest challenge is its need to be saved from itself! It is a game dominated by self-interest and short-term success. At a professional level and increasingly at an amateur level, football requires effective financial regulation.”