Bolton’s Labour MP David Crausby has expressed concern over the Government’s half-hearted response to his grassroots football e-petition.
The Government have responded with an almost identical statement to the one Crausby received in November last year, claiming that the Premier League already makes “a significant voluntary contribution to grassroots football that has continued to grow since the League’s inception.”
Crausby, who has represented Bolton North East since 1997, re-launched the e-petition in July this year having originally started it in 2013 and needs 100,000 signatures by March next year to be considered for a House of Commons debate on the future of children’s football and its funding.
“One year on from my first petition the Government have shown that they aren’t even considering the issues that have been raised despite the concerns of thousands of people all across the country,” Crausby said in a statement.
“The Government have nothing to say about the fact that grass roots football is facing a funding crisis.
“Billions comes in from TV deals and stays right at the top of the sport to pay vastly inflated wages while families are struggling to meet the costs at a grass roots level.”
The petition has so far received the support of 15,000 people, who share Crausby’s view to call for the Government to help secure a commitment from the Premier League to give 7.5% of their broadcasting rights and share the billions of pounds they receive with children’s football teams.
We call on the Government to ensure that grass roots football receives financial support from the Premier League.http://t.co/fqhg6Hl8P6
— SaveGrassRootsFooty (@savegrassroots) October 14, 2014
However Crausby says that “poor quality pitches and ever increasing fees” are preventing people from taking part in grass roots football, while the Premier League needs to “support football from the ground up to ensure its future.”
To see the how the capitalists trickle down doesn’t work just look at football. Grass roots football starved of funding.
— Chris Giles (@ChrisGiles7) October 15, 2014
“I appreciate all the support that has been shown for grass roots football over the course of this campaign and I will continue to press forward with this issue,” added Crausby.
“If we reach 100,000 signatures I can take this debate into the House of Commons but I can only do that if people keep talking about the campaign and sharing the petition.”
To support grass roots football and sign David Crausby’s e-petition visit epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/66835
Main image courtesy of FATV via YouTube, with thanks.
