Grass Boots FC (update)

A few weeks ago I wrote an article about Grass Boots FC, a kid's football club in Cape Town set up with the aim of bringing the game to disadvantaged children from all walks of life.

The perfect hangover cure after the England debacle was that we were offered the chance to take a coaching session with the kids themselves, so after brushing teeth to mask the alcohol and chugging as much water as physically possible we set off.

The club is set up on the slopes of Table Mountain, with a shipping container as a secure place to store equipment and use as a changing room/kitchen/everything in between. The pitch could do with work but is definitely better than Wembley! But the real point of our trip was not about the facilities or state of the pitch, it was the players.

Due to this being school holidays, the turn-out was lower than they were anticipating - but in fact this made for a great session as we were able to work closely with the kids, and get more involved which is never easy with a massive group.

The coaches very graciously allowed us to lead the session and were keen to ask questions and learn, however I am certain this was more out of politeness than a need to improve - the players all showed impressive touch, skill, understanding and most of all enjoyed themselves. This is clearly a credit to the club and those who put the hours in to run it.

After running some simple drills and some dribbling and shooting work, we were able to join them in a small sided game to wrap things up. This was such a good laugh and a pleasure, and was in such stark contrast to the frustration of the previous night's game.

When watching the millionaires each week in the Premier League and now at the World Cup it is easy to think that football is this massively cynical, money-driven, corporate monster that it seems to have become.

It's not.

The absolute top of the pyramid may be so, but this has never and will never be the most important part of the game. Shayden, Oliver, Jonathan, Innocent, Gift and Sasha - and all their team-mates who could not make it - they are what football really and truly is about. The excitement they showed, the keen-ness to learn, the desire to impress and the joy when they did something well, this is what it is all about.

If Football PLC eats itself one day, the amateur game will still survive. The most important thing is football at the grass roots, or should I say, the Grass Boots.