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<\/a><\/p>\nFor Liburd, that response is rooted in the kind of club Leicester Nirvana has become. Before moving to its current location, the club was based at Highfields in the inner city, where row upon row of Victorian red brick terraced housing left little room for greenery, let alone a grass pitch.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe grew up in these areas,\u201d he says. \u201cThere was no proper organised sport, it was all concrete, 40% of young people were in poverty.\u201d<\/p>\n
After scouting a patch of public land four miles away in Hamilton, the club\u2019s management persuaded the local council to let them section off and maintain a full-sized pitch, and build a clubhouse. Now, weekend mornings at this quiet spot on the edge of the city come alive with the sound of kids from as many as 70 countries shouting words of encouragement to each other. Black banners with \u201cNO Racism\u201d are visible to everyone who passes through the entrance, and a spectator stand filled with weather-faded black and red seats is studded with supportive parents.<\/p>\n
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\n Research into the Kicks programme found that 93% of participants believed it helped them get into less trouble. Image: Leicester Nirvana\n <\/p>\n
For Liburd, the point is that a club can become more than a place to play. It can become a trusted space, especially for young people who may not respond to more formal authority. \u201cSome of those same kids that misbehave at school will come to football and they\u2019ll be good as gold with their coach,\u201d he says. \u201cCommunities like ours can access these young people at their best, we can connect with them and hopefully make them better people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Football is increasingly being used by police and club charities as a way to prevent antisocial behaviour, youth violence and crime. Through the Premier League Kicks Police Partnerships Fund, nearly \u00a31m of Premier League funding is being matched by \u00a31.2m from police forces, Police and Crime Commissioners and Violence Reduction Units, creating a pot of more than \u00a32m over two years for 43 football club charities across England and Wales.<\/p>\n
Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell says football occupies a rare position in young people\u2019s lives. Partnering with Premier League Kicks and Everton in the Community, Spurrell made the grassroots game a formal part of her crime reduction strategy between 2024 and 2025, in a bid to improve outcomes for hard-to-reach youngsters in the region.<\/p>\n
A club can become a trusted space, especially for young people who may not respond to more formal authority<\/p>\n
\u201c[These programmes] work because they do far more than just put a football on a pitch,\u201d she says. \u201cGrassroots football has a real ability to connect with young people who might not respond to more traditional approaches.\u201dI<\/p>\n
In Merseyside, more than 30 free sessions now run each week for young people aged eight to 19. Everton in the Community says antisocial behaviour and crime fall by 75% to 82% during Premier League Kicks session times around the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen young people are given something positive to be part of, supported by consistent role models and clear expectations, we see real and measurable drops in antisocial behaviour and crime, that benefit whole neighbourhoods,\u201d Spurrell says.<\/p>\n
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\n In Merseyside, more than 30 free sessions now run each week for young people aged eight to 19. Image: Leicester Nirvana\n <\/p>\n
The young people involved report similar benefits. Independent research by the Carnegie School of Sport at Leeds Beckett University into the Kicks programme found that 93% of participants believed it helped them get into less trouble. It also found that 86% believed the programme had improved their career opportunities and made them more confident speaking in front of a group, while more than 300 Kicks alumni are now employed in roles across the club charity network as a result of their involvement.<\/p>\n
The benefits of the grassroots game also go well beyond crime prevention. Anxiety, depression and loneliness have risen among children and adults since the Covid-19 pandemic, while obesity remains a major public health challenge. According to research cited by the Football Foundation, more than 15 million people in England play football regularly, generating \u00a315.9bn in social value each year, including \u00a33.2bn in healthcare savings.<\/p>\n
For Liburd, the health benefits are visible every week at training. \u201cSome of our groups, when you walk past, they\u2019re just laughing, just playing about,\u201d he says. \u201cThey\u2019re here for the social aspect.\u201d<\/p>\n
His message to anyone hesitant to get involved is simple. \u201cFootball is the most accessible sport in the country right now, so just come. Enjoy being around other people, enjoy being part of something. It gets you out and touching grass \u2013 literally. It doesn\u2019t need to be about excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Main image: Jason Senior<\/p>\n
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