Robbie Savage celebrated victory in his crusade to revive grass roots football – but warned the battle for survival has only just begun.
Eleven days after Mirror Sport's columnist demanded to know why golf and tennis coaching for Under-18s had resumed, but junior football remained shut down, Sports Minister Oliver Dowden announced the shackles were being loosened.
From Monday, people in England will be able to play sport and train outdoors with up to five people from other households.
But Savage believes it will take record investment - to fund pitch maintenance, league structures, changing room facilities and referees – to keep the game's lifeblood afloat.
And he wants the FA to publish new guidelines immediately so coaches can begin working with small groups this week.
Tagging Savage in a tweet from his official account, Dowden said: “@RobbieSavage8 to assure you I'm listening and trying to help all the sectors I serve get up and running as soon as Drs say it's safe.”
The FA responded in a statement: “We will issue updated guidance on grass roots football soon in line with the @DCMS latest recommendations.”
Savage said: “It's good news – but in the long term, football at recreational and grass roots levels is going to need more investment than ever – or the conveyor belt of talent right up to the professional ranks will be broken.
“And as well as giving kids decent pitches to play on, we may need to help parents who have been laid off, or forced to take pay cuts, during lockdown to keeping clubs afloat.
“The feedback from my columns on grass roots has been incredible, and show how many people out there really care about playing the game.
“I was watching the daily briefing from Downing Street when Mr Dowden informed the nation, 'Football is coming back.'
“Maybe it was part of the plan all along, and you can't send kids back to school in classrooms of 15 or 20 pupils in one breath and tell them it's not safe to play football outdoors in groups of up to six in the next.
“I don't know if raising the question about grass-roots football, when I was allowed to put it to Health Secretary Matt Hancock 10 days ago, had anything to do with it.
“I like to think I might have helped to highlight the issue, and give the authorities a little nudge along the path towards restoring football at park and junior levels.
“But the most important thing, for hundreds of thousands of youngsters and their parents, is that we have taken the first steps.
“Now I am looking to the FA to provide clarity, in terms of safeguarding and social distancing protocols, so we can get back out on the training pitch – in small groups – this week.
“And while the kids can finally look forward to working on their techniques and letting off some steam physically, it will also benefit their mental health.
“I must admit, I thought I had run up a dead end trying to contact Mr Dowden last week, but fair play to him: He was listening after all.”
