Tesco help save the future of English football!

[Lennon Saviour of E]

And at low low prices!

Frank eyes new generation
By Chris Hatherall. Thursday, 28 June 2007.

Frank Lampard is hoping The FA's new Skills coaching programme can help create a generation of English Gianfranco Zolas!

The exciting new programme, co-ordinanted in conjunction with Tesco and the National Sports Foundation, aims to reach one million five to eleven year-olds in the next three years.

And although it is as much about improving individuals as finding new talent, Lampard says if the end result is improved technique then it can only be good for the game.

The England midfielder has been lucky in his career to be trained by some of the best coaches in the game - including his father Frank Lampard Senior and his current boss, Jose Mourinho.

But he believes the benchmark for future generations should be Chelsea legend Zola.

Lampard said: "Gianfranco is the most talented player I have worked with. He was fantastic tecnically but what I admired the most was the fact he worked so hard on his game.

"He worked on the basics, on shooting, on right foot and left foot, on controlling the ball, receiving the ball and passing. He was doing that after training even when he was 35.

"That's something that makes players extra special. He would have been a good player anyway with the ability he had - but he put himself onto another level with the work he put in.

"That's what we want to teach kids. With this scheme we are talking about all levels, not just about trying to find another Zola or another Rooney.

"It's about improving everyone and trying to get the best out of everyone.

"But if we put people in the right direction at an early age we will naturally have more technically gifted players coming through. And that has to be a good thing."

Although Lampard received expert coaching from his father as a young boy he admits the tuition he received at school wasn't quite up to the same standard.

So he is thrilled to see that The FA has coached team of 66 specialist coaches to visit schools all over the country.

He added: "At the school I went to the people who were teaching me football, with all due respect to them, were maths and geography teachers who liked football. It wasn't giving me a great base to go and play for West Ham, Chelsea and England.

"We need to get the coaches who are qualified enough to give kids the skills they need to improve. I didn't have that. But now we're looking to change that and that's great.

"It's important for fans and for kids that we have English players playing in the Premiership. There's nothing better than to see a local boy in the team that you can aspire to be like.

"We're in a position where we need to get more English talent into the Premiership and the leagues below and this scheme will help in future."

[Evertonized]

Yep they saved the game for future talent, plus they are helping with Kirby's ground, but will it go ahead who knows

[Lennon Saviour of E]

And at low low prices - God I'm funny. haha:
(Just noticed it)

Anyway enough about me. It didn't get much coverage in the press, but Sir Trev has been battling against the odds for something like this for years.

I'm just wondering if he got what he wanted.