Source: FOOTYMAD
Former Toon Boss Blames It All On Maggie Thatcher!
Sam Allardyce claims English football is suffering because of decisions made during the Margaret Thatcher-led Conservative government. Sam Allardyce: "Since Margaret Thatcher stopped teachers being paid extra money for coaching sports after school, all sporting activities have diminished on a competitive basis. "Thatcher killed football, no doubt about it. "This was a working-class game but it's only at private schools where the children get the sports opportunities I had - and even then a lot of them don't play football, it's mainly rugby. "Despite putting in place all sorts of advanced academy systems at clubs we are only producing half the players the school system used to. "Our [West Ham] youth trainer, Tony Carr, is fighting to find the next Ferdinands and Lampards with one hand tied behind his back." "But until we wake up and realise how important school sport is to our kids we will never repair the damage."
