06/09/2026
This weekend, it all starts again for many ❤️⚽
The early alarms.
The kit bags by the front door.
The frantic search for the missing shin pad.
The coaches checking the weather every ten minutes.
The referees walking onto pitches knowing every decision will be watched.
The parents standing on touchlines with coffees in their hands and butterflies in their stomachs.
And, most importantly, thousands upon thousands of children pulling on their shirts and doing something they love.
For some, it will be their very first match.
For others, incredibly, this might be the beginning of their final season in junior football.
There will be goals they'll talk about all week.
There will be mistakes they'll have forgotten by Monday.
There will be wins, defeats, muddy knees, freezing mornings, last-minute winners, missed penalties, brilliant saves, new friendships and probably a few tears along the way.
But years from now, the scorelines won't matter very much.
They'll remember the teammates.
They'll remember the laughs.
They'll remember Mum and Dad being there.
They'll remember the coach who believed in them.
They'll remember being part of something.
So to every young player stepping onto a pitch this weekend…
To every volunteer coach who has spent their own time getting a team ready…
To every parent driving miles, washing kits and cheering from the sidelines…
To every referee brave enough to pick up the whistle…
To every club secretary, groundsman, fixture secretary, welfare officer and volunteer working quietly behind the scenes…
Good luck for the season ahead.
Enjoy it.
Support each other.
Be kind when things don't go your way.
And every now and again, look around and take it all in.
Because these ordinary Saturday and Sunday mornings won't last forever.
And one day, you'll give almost anything to have just one of them back. ❤️⚽
Here's to the 2026/27 grassroots football season. Make it a good one.
