Junior Grassroots

Seven days into the new season, one Scottish youth league had shown 72 red cards, abandoned several matches, watched a team official headbutt another at a festival for five- and six-year-olds, and called the police. Its secretary told managers that behaviour had hit "a new all-time low". It is a Scottish story, but it is not a Scottish problem — and there are things every junior club in the UK should take from it ⤵

https://www.juniorgrassrootshub.com/news/72-red-cards-one-week-scotland-youth-football-warning

This is one of the hardest calls a grassroots parent can make.

If your child is struggling every week, getting limited involvement or losing confidence, is staying at that level really helping them?

Sometimes moving to a different team or level isn’t a backwards step at all. More touches, more responsibility and more enjoyment can be exactly what a player needs.

But others would argue that learning to cope with a tougher environment is part of development too.

So where do you stand?

If a child is struggling, should parents consider moving them?

Kids notice more than we think.

If every defeat becomes the referee’s fault, the coach’s fault or someone else’s fault, they start to learn that too.

But if they see adults stay calm, support the coach and focus on effort, learning and the next game, that message sticks as well.

Grassroots football is full of tough moments.

How we react to them matters.

Our partner, PicDay is a creative photography business specialising in grassroots sports clubs, schools and nurseries. We provide free, professional photo days using green screen technology to create high-quality, personalised images that feel modern, exciting and memorable.

Our service is designed to remove the stress from traditional photo days. We handle the setup, photography, online ordering and delivery, making the process simple for organisers and convenient for parents. Alongside individual and team photographs, we create standout products such as personalised sports images, player posters and whole-club panoramic photographs.

A key part of PicDay is our community-first approach. Through our cashback programme, schools and clubs can raise funds from photo sales, helping them pay for equipment, kit and other essentials. We see ourselves as more than a photography provider - we are a creative partner helping organisations capture memories, celebrate their people and give something back to their community.

You know it’s been a proper grassroots football morning when the car looks like this. 😂⚽

Mud everywhere.
Boots abandoned.
Water bottles rolling under the seats.
A kit bag that somehow exploded.
And one absolutely shattered player in the back.

You leave home with a clean car.

You come back looking like you’ve hosted a tournament.

Grassroots parents — how bad does your car get after matchday? 👇

🚨 From the start of the 2026/27 season, a referee at a grassroots match in England can stop the game, send both teams to their penalty areas and call the coaches and captains into the centre circle — and they can do it twice. If a third stop is needed, the match is abandoned. The FA calls them "cooling-off periods", and after a County FA pilot they are now rolling out nationally. Here's what that means for your child's team on a Sunday morning.⤵

https://www.juniorgrassrootshub.com/news/fa-cooling-off-periods-referees-can-pause-junior-matches

The result gets forgotten.

The friendships don’t.

For so many kids, grassroots football becomes far more than just the match on a Sunday. It’s the teammates, the laughs, the setbacks, the celebrations and the mates they make along the way.

That’s the part of the game that can last long after the boots have been hung up.

Meet our new partner: Livegood Fundraising UK

How many teams are constantly trying to raise money for kits year after year?

How many are relying on raffles, sponsored events, cake sales, donations and the same handful of fundraising ideas over and over again?

What if there was another option?

LiveGood Fundraising has created a fundraising model where a non-profit organisation can get set up completely FREE, give its supporters their own fundraising links and potentially earn ongoing income from the customers they introduce.

❌ No stock to buy.
❌ No stock to store.
❌ No products to deliver.
❌ No upfront cost to the organisation.

And potentially 20% from the first order and up to 10% from subsequent qualifying orders.

Because we’re not talking about helping one organisation raise a few hundred pounds from a single event.

We’re talking about a model that could potentially be replicated across hundreds of organisations, another way to generate ongoing income. 👉

If you run a football team: You can get set up quickly and easily at absolutely no cost to the organisation and start exploring how the programme could work for your cause.

https://www.livegoodfundraising.com/LGFundraisingUK

Right-Light has joined Junior Grassroots Hub as a partner!

Reliable portable rechargeable floodlights for sports training. Ideal for grassroots clubs to train during the autumn and winter months. All Junior Grassroots Hub members receive free carry cases and a free head torch on purchases of 6 lights or more!

Ideal for illuminating small or large sports pitches.
Excellent light output - 20,000 lumens per light.
Fully rechargeable means no expensive, noisy generator required.
Easy to assemble (less than 2 minutes per floodlight).
No planning permission required.
Utilise previously unplayable pitches.
Perfect for outdoor use in all weather.
Lightweight lithium-ion battery pack - easy to carry & store.
Designed in the UK.
Approved portable floodlight for grant applications (including Football Foundation).

https://www.juniorgrassrootshub.com/partners/right-light

A gentle reminder for everyone on the sidelines this weekend…

⚽ This is a game
⚽ These are children
⚽ Coaches are volunteers
⚽ Referees are human

Mistakes will happen.

Let’s keep grassroots football the positive environment it should be.