Liverpool legend John Barnes has underlined the importance of the FA's 867,000-strong network of volunteers by heading down to MSB Woolton on Merseyside, the largest amateur club in the UK.
With over 160 teams comprising more than 900 young players, MSB Woolton depend on the help of volunteers to put on training sessions, help with administration and ensure the general up-keep of the club is maintained.
Barnes joined in to help coach some of the kids through a training session. But first, the former Liverpool star spoke to FourFourTwo to highlight the impact these special volunteers can have.
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"We know that football is big business, and if you go to the academies you've got lots of great eight, nine, 10-year-old kids - but that's not what this is. This is about supporting kids in the community," Barnes tells FFT.
"Most of them probably aren't going to be footballers, but they of course want to play football for fun. They love it. The volunteers help teach them about team building and values necessary in life - this is what this this scheme does.
"So it's not an elitist scheme, it's there for everybody who just want to play football and be involved in a community. Some volunteers deserve a lot of credit because they don't get paid for it. I'm just here to support them and highlight the good work they do."
And the work they do is fantastic. Indeed, the FA's club impact tool assessment identified that Woolton have contributed a total of £6.4m benefit to the local community. The impact that can have up and down the country is of paramount importance, especially when considering there are around 867,000 people supporting grassroots football alone each year.
"This concept has been around for many, many years," Barnes adds. "Obviously, the FA may not have been involved in terms of what they're actually doing now, because I remember when I was 13 years old in 1976 and there were lots of youth teams around which wasn't an FA grassroots scheme.
"But you've always had parents and other people who get involved to support the kids in the local clubs. Now, though, you've got lots of young people, 16, 17,-year-olds, who are volunteering to help local clubs. So it's not just about dads and coaches to local clubs, it's about everybody in the community.
"It's nothing new, but the FA now have got involved and highlighted it to make it even bigger, and it's much more important now, because a lot of the young kids who are talented get picked up by the clubs. They don't play grassroots football anymore, so it's important for us to still have opportunities for the other kids to continue playing. It's great for the FA to get involved and give them an opportunity to still be involved in football."
To find out more information on how you can get involved and become a volunteer, go to englandfootball.com/participate/volunteer
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