Football in the mix

Are English football clubs offering enough?

Barcelona play Hockey??

Along with many other countries football clubs in Portugal are a lot more than just a football club.

In some countries in Europe sport is taken as part of an organisation, in Portugal from the major clubs to the lower clubs, social activities and a community feel is given from most clubs.

Lacal club offers handball.

People will notice that Sporting not only grows majority of Portugal's best players but they also turn out a lot of good runners and Portuguese Cycling is made up of mostly Sporting cyclists.

Sporting's Obikwelo 100 meters runner

SL Benfica and FC Porto have great European roller skating hockey teams from both youth and adults.

There is also Andebol (handball) which is one of the most viewed and covered sport after football, and obviously Futebol de Salao is highly followed.

Benfica Hockey

Stadiums from the smaller clubs to the biggest always have a sports complex next to them, or they offer it in the stadium as was the case at Estadio da Luz prior but now it’s at a pavilion next to the ground.

The smaller clubs are able to offer football plus another sport.  It just means that their presence in the community is strong and they are able to accommodate everyone’s preference of sport.


Almost all clubs have a pavilion

Around Europe and the World great teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Roma, CSKA Moscow offer a different sport and are openly involved in more projects then just football.



Flamengo Swimmer

Around England, the stadia’s and areas of football grounds are deserted or used as tour for clubs to make money, the grounds seem to be a fortress with flat greying walls, shut doors and only a tour guide door and a couple of offices open for the director of football if he does not happen to be at the training ground.

I have long believed that not a lot more then football is offered but organisations that make millions of pounds and also pay out millions.

We have cricket in season by some counties who struggle to make ends meet, ladies hockey is popular but again the struggle to get a spot at a local astro-turf, or for funding and recognition is amazingly high. The Basketball league is considerably famous in England but couldn't the competition be between a Spurs vs Arsenal sometimes?

I am not saying that there should be total dominance by major clubs, but what about lower clubs being given the grants to maybe start one of these projects?

"Redbridge FC opens door to local basketball team"

Barcelona vs Real Madrid

One team I know in London are offering this, Kingsbury London Tigers offer Basketball, Badminton, Athletics etc.. Tigers have organisations stretching from Redbridge to Westminster and seem to do well in their first team in the Spartan Premier Division.  From when I first heard of Tigers they were a local youth side who offered a few sports to local youngsters, I understand they have partnered old Kingsbury Town FC.

There might be a few organisations out there offering the same but how many are offered by clubs at a level seen in Europe and around the world whilst the king sport is football.

How could we go about trying to change this? Can bigger clubs follow suit and start other projects then football?

Benfica Futebol de Salao

Although Project such as reading, Kick It Out, Community in the school’s football is great, do all kids actually want to play football? What if John is a basketball fan, what if he was more suited to hockey?

Although I understand that these sports are offered individually but independent organisations who often struggle, What costs to pay for one players, one week wage costs to run some of the of these sports for a year, and with a bit more investment I am sure a lot more kids would benefit from being associated with clubs be it Major or Non League.

FC Porto