Football For All strategy aims to help improve the wellbeing of the nation

A new grassroots football strategy from the Scottish FA aims to help improve wellbeing throughout Scotland by inspiring a nation through the Power of Football.

Launched today, the new four-year strategy, Football for All 2022-2025: Scottish FA Grassroots Strategy, aims to increase participation in football at all levels by removing barriers and improving accessibility to the game.

 

The strategy identifies four ‘gamechanger’ objectives, which the Scottish FA will work in partnership with key stakeholders – including national and local government – to achieve: empowering football clubs to become sustainable, adaptable and community focused; improving access to community football spaces; creating a diverse and inclusive grassroots football community; and empowering every person in Scotland to be able to participate in football.

It follows yesterday’s launch of the Scottish FA’s new brand vision, Believe in the Power of Football, which showcases the unique ability that football possesses to transform lives for the better.

Developed with the support of UEFA, Football For All builds on UEFA’s landmark Social Return on Investment (SROI) study that concluded that grassroots football provides over €1 billion of value to Scottish society, providing tangible evidence of how football can improve lives within Scotland.

In developing the strategy, the Scottish FA commissioned two major independent research studies to engage with both the public and community clubs across Scotland, in order to gain insight into the current state of grassroots football following the COVID-19 pandemic and the rising cost of living.

Both research pieces underscored the value that participation in football can add to multiple areas of society, with some of the key findings including:

  • 93 percent of players surveyed believe football participation helps them cope with anxiety, stress or depression.
  • 95 percent believe that football participation makes them feel more a part of their local community.
  • 92 percent of volunteers believe that participation in football is beneficial for their mental health.
  • 75 percent of respondents believe that playing football prevents players at their club from engaging in antisocial or criminal activity.

The two reports also made recommendations based on their findings for the Scottish FA to act upon, which helped to shape the Football For All strategy.

These recommendations include further development of the Scottish FA’s support package for community clubs; working with clubs to address any issues related to the recruitment of female players and improving facilities for girls and women; setting achievable sustainability targets for clubs; and working with clubs, local authorities, and leisure trusts to ensure that barriers to accessing footballing facilities can be overcome.

In addition, in partnership with the Wellbeing Alliance Scotland, a report on Scottish football’s influence on the nation’s wellbeing was commissioned to help inform national policymakers about the potential for grassroots football to contribute to building a Wellbeing Economy in Scotland – one that can ultimately help the most marginalised groups in Scottish society.

Scottish FA Chief Football Officer Andrew Gould: “The intrinsic value that football provides in Scotland goes far beyond the feelgood factor of scoring a goal – football has the amazing power to provide tangible benefits in multiple walks of life and across all communities.

“Everyone in Scotland should have the opportunity to participate in football in some form – whether that be as a volunteer, a referee, or playing one of the many forms of Para-Football available – and gain access to the transformational benefits that it can bring. 

“Through our new Football For All strategy we will commit to working in partnership with stakeholders across Scottish football to make the game more open and welcoming than it has ever been.

“We are fully aware of the challenges that Scottish grassroots football faces, and the research that we commissioned to shape our strategy has further underscored the areas on which we must improve.

“Our goal now through this four-year strategy is to work with partners and stakeholders in a collective effort to address any existing barriers to participation – such as access to quality, affordable facilities – to continue growth and development of our beloved national game, which will in turn bring tremendous benefits to Scottish society.”

Read the two grassroots football reports:

Scottish FA Community Football in Scotland: Insights Post-Covid and Beyond report

Evaluation of Scottish FA Club Support for Quality Mark Clubs report