Fara Williams, the most capped player in England’s history, has called for increased investment in grassroots football.
Speaking in an interview with Sky News at the Burgess Park pitches in south London, Williams said: “Football now is expensive. It’s become an expensive sport.”
Williams reflected on her own childhood in Battersea during the 1980s and 1990s. She described how grassroots play was more accessible then, but now many children face financial barriers. “Growing up, it was a working class sport,” she said. “I think the difference now is that to get facilitated sessions, you would have to pay a lot of money.”
She added: “Without the funding to give these kids the opportunity that are from underprivileged families, they probably wouldn’t have access to it. So it opens access for the underprivileged, which is what we probably were growing up. And it gives that opportunity to kids to come out and play.”
Why it matters
Grassroots investment shapes the future of elite sport. If children can’t play regularly, fewer may progress to higher levels.
Poor facilities or high costs create barriers for underprivileged groups, reinforcing inequality.
Regular participation offers health and social benefits beyond sport itself.
With rising costs in sport such as equipment, facility hire and travel, the “working class sport” identity Williams recalls is under pressure.