Greg Dyke, Chairman of the Football Association, tells us that grassroots football is in crisis. He’s probably right, although I did long ago conclude that pretty much everything I care about is in a perpetual state of crisis and that, unless you can afford to employ a Professional Worrier, you’re best just getting on with things, and que sera sera…

Anyway, we’ve been doing our bit. Accuracy Matters’ first venture into sponsorship is now in its second year. We’re associated with Wymondley Park Under-11s, who compete in the Royston Crow League in the Hertfordshire/Cambridgeshire/Bedfordshire area. My younger son plays for them; last season we sponsored the shirts, and this year we’re doing the Man of the Match awards.

As a parent, you get asked many questions. Recent examples for me include ‘Dad, what’s a risk assessment?’, ‘Dad, what does **** mean?’ and ‘Dad, do you get lots of business by sponsoring Wymondley Park?’. My answers to the first two would probably be judged as unsatisfactory by experts in the field, but at least I could answer the third accurately – absolutely nothing, at least not yet.

We did it because we thought it might be fun (and it is), and to support football at the grassroots, where, as Mr Dyke says, it needs it most. And the shirts are pretty cool.

It’s highly unlikely that any of our players will go on to the pro game – although this was the club where Ashley Young of Manchester United started out, and we did beat Letchworth Eagles, Jack Wilshere’s first team, earlier this year. But that really isn’t the point.

This Sunday we entertain the Buntingford Cougars, and there will probably be a number of crises, especially in relation to assembling the goals (think IKEA without the instructions). But the boys love it (and so, secretly, do the grown-ups), and – who knows? – one day it might bring us some business…

Photo by Daniel Norin on Unsplash