Rose Hill dad Brian Lovatt is committed to the sport
Youth football leaders tonight welcomed a commitment by Oxford City Council to get more children out on the pitch and playing the beautiful game.
New deputy city council leader and qualified FA referee Ed Turner said the Labour group was keen to invest more time and money into football facilities across the city to keep youngsters active and healthy.
Mr Turner, who watched his party snatch control of the council from the Liberal Democrats in the city elections last week, said there were plans for a football summit' later this year, when council leaders would meet representatives from local clubs, as well as coaches and parents.
The event would be an opportunity for people to feed back their ideas on how best to develop grassroots football in Oxford. It is understood the council will approach Oxford United and Oxford City football clubs to tap into their expertise.
Mr Turner said: "Youth football is an important part of life in Oxford, particularly on estates. It keeps youngsters fit and we are keen to see it flourish.
"We will be talking to people involved in youth football to see how we can reach out to kids to give them more opportunity to play.
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"I think in the past people have felt the city council to be more of a hindrance than a help because of things such as pitch fees and the rules surrounding changing rooms."
Prior to his re-election, Mr Turner worked with dads on the Rose Hill estate, who plan to resurrect Rose Hill Football Club by creating an under 16s team for next season. The area currently has no team, although training sessions for boys and girls are organised by the estate youth club.
Daniel Johnson, 15, from Radford Close, said: "We've got nothing in Rose Hill at the moment, except for the youth club.
"We get annoyed because we have to go to other estates to play football.
"They need to get more football teams on the estate and have an open day or a tournament so people can see how good our estate can be."
Brian Lovatt, one of the dads trying to resurrect Rose Hill Football Club, said the council's biggest challenge would be to persuade more parents to get involved.
He added: "Football is very important - I think this is brilliant. It's going to keep the kids off the street. "
Nigel Medlock, chairman of the Oxford Blackbirds Football Club, based in Blackbird Leys, added: "It's important to fund grassroots football because out of 30 kids in a team, one might be a star.
"If they are prepared to listen to people at grassroots level we're halfway there."
The boost for football will form just part of a commitment to young people, according to the new leader of the city council, Bob Price.
Mr Price said a programme for youngsters would see more than a dozen playgrounds refurbished and any plans to close play areas scrapped.
He said his new administration would do all it could to save Peers Sports Centre, which is threatened by a scheme to create Oxford's first academy school on its site.
And he said councillors were awaiting the outcome of a report into the future management of the city's leisure facilities before deciding on the merits of handing them over to a charitable trust, or keeping them in house.
Shame that we have to book a pitch to play on even on a sunday afternonn kick about. My kids went to park were using the goal post in Marsh park they were told to move on as they had to book to play football on the pitches even though they were no booking on sunday aftrenoon. We need to encourage kids any team need 7-11 year old players for next season
Shame that we have to book a pitch to play on even on a sunday afternonn kick about. My kids went to park were using the goal post in Marsh park they were told to move on as they had to book to play football on the pitches even though they were no booking on sunday aftrenoon. We need to encourage kids any team need 7-11 year old players for next season
Posted by: Cllr Ed Turner, Oxford on 12:14pm Fri 9 May 08
Thanks for this. Obviously we're just getting started and plans are at an early stage, but I hope with some early communication with clubs and others interested we can iron out some of the problems that exist, and by working with other people can lever in some money for extra coaching and facilities as well.
Because the Oxford Mail has a lot of coverage of football, I know it is widely read by those interested, and we'll hope to use the paper to publicise what we are doing and opportunities to get involved.
Thanks for this. Obviously we're just getting started and plans are at an early stage, but I hope with some early communication with clubs and others interested we can iron out some of the problems that exist, and by working with other people can lever in some money for extra coaching and facilities as well.
Because the Oxford Mail has a lot of coverage of football, I know it is widely read by those interested, and we'll hope to use the paper to publicise what we are doing and opportunities to get involved.
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