WHY? The Peoples Game
Welcome to The People’s Game – a place where football belongs to the fans, not faceless corporations.
For far too long, the beautiful game has been treated as a commodity, its soul traded for profit margins and shareholder dividends. Billionaires and corporations have hijacked our sport, transforming it into a business where the bottom line overshadows the passion of the terraces. But here at The People’s Game, we’re taking a stand. We believe football should be a force for community, joy, and unity – not just another corporate product.
Why This Matters
For many coaches (and parent coaches), access to advanced coaching education is restricted by high costs, limited availability, and inconvenience. The People’s Game is here to break down these barriers, empowering players to learn independently and enabling coaches to assess their teams’ comprehension of foundational knowledge more effectively.
Through years of coaching, I identified a crucial gap in football education: the ability to assess and teach players’ theoretical understanding of the game’s core principles. Concepts like principles of play, attack, and defense are foundational, yet traditional methods often fail to measure how well players truly grasp them. This understanding is essential for building confidence, improving performance, and fostering teamwork on the pitch.
Football isn’t just a game; it’s a shared language, a source of identity, and a community lifeline. By being able to provide some of these lessons affordably and providing a platform where fans can collectively voice their opinion We stand for:
People First: Without the people, there’s no game. Your voice matters, and it’s time to put you back at the heart of football.
Community Over Corporations: The best moments in football aren’t made in boardrooms. They’re made in the stands, in the pubs, and on the pitches where communities come together.
Equality and Accessibility: Football should be for everyone, regardless of wealth, background, or geography. It’s a game of the people, by the people, and for the people. Why has it created a cartelised industry that doesn’t pay those who give their time to serve the game?
Why the Logo
Our logo is a symbol of our mission, reflecting the core values and aspirations of The People’s Game. It combines three powerful elements:
A Football: Representing our universal love for the game, the football is a reminder of what connects us all – the sport that transcends borders, cultures, and languages.
A Sun: Symbolizing a new dawn in football, the sun reflects the hope and vision for a future where the game is reclaimed by the people. It represents the light of unity, fairness, and a brighter tomorrow for fans and players alike.
An Inverted Pyramid: This powerful image stands for the redistribution of power in football. The inverted pyramid signifies the game returning to its rightful owners: the fans and communities that sustain it. It’s a call for grassroots empowerment and the dismantling of top-heavy corporate dominance.
“To watch a football game is to watch the world in miniature. The more you understand, the more you can see the beauty in the game.”
Arsene Wenger
How We Make a Difference
Our platform complements on-field coaching by providing a structured, accessible approach to learning football tactics and strategy:
Blended Learning Approach: Players engage in online education modules covering foundational and advanced football concepts. This enables them to learn core principles at their own pace.
Assessment-Driven Insight: Quizzes and tests measure understanding of key topics. Players can showcase their comprehension, while coaches gain valuable insights to tailor training sessions.
Personalized Coaching Feedback: Coaches can identify areas for improvement and focus on specific needs, maximizing the impact of in-person training.
Digestible, Incremental Learning: Complex lessons are broken into smaller, manageable modules, making content easier to retain and apply.
Cost-Effective Accessibility: By offering affordable modules, we make high-quality football education available to more players and coaches than ever before.
What We Provide
The platform offers a comprehensive suite of educational resources and tools designed to elevate both player and coach knowledge:
Structured Football Curriculum: A range of modules covering football essentials—from principles of play, attack, and defense to in-depth tactics like formations and positional roles—ensuring players and coaches have access to essential and advanced knowledge.
Interactive Quizzes and Tests: Engaging assessments that allow players to demonstrate their understanding, fostering accountability and readiness to apply concepts on the field.
Analytical Tools for Coaches: Features that enable coaches to assess both individual and team comprehension of tactics, making it easier to identify gaps in knowledge and ensure everyone is aligned with the game plan.
Affordable and Inclusive Learning Paths: An accessible alternative to exclusive and costly coaching certifications, providing lessons at a fraction of the cost.
Expanding Library of Expertise: Future collaborations with recognized coaches will expand the lesson library, establishing the platform as a centralized resource for football knowledge.
Custom Tactics Testing: A toolset for coaches to test team-specific formations, such as custom plays or unique roles within formations like the 4-2-3-1, enabling tailored strategic preparation.
Join the Movement
The People’s Game isn’t just a website; it’s a rallying cry. Whether you’re a die-hard supporter, a grassroots volunteer, or someone who simply loves the sport, there’s a place for you here. Together, we can:
Share stories that inspire change.
Build a network of like-minded fans and advocates.
Take real steps toward reclaiming football for its true owners: the people.
This is our game. Let’s take it back.
Welcome to The People’s Game. Let’s make history – together.
Understanding the need for "Football intelligence"
Some quotes from some of the greatest minds in world football about learning the game:
Mikel Arteta
Speaking about having an understanding of positional play Mikel Arteta gave an analogy:
“If I am in the kitchen and I know the glasses are always in this cupboard, I get my glass of water more quickly.”
Johan Cruyff
“When you play a match, it is statistically proven that players actually have the ball three minutes on average … So, the most important thing is: what do you do during those 87 minutes when you do not have the ball. That is what determines whether you’re a good player or not.”
Ian Wright
“Teddy [Sheringham] didn’t need pace, he was five yards quicker upstairs. He already knew what was happening before the ball came to him. Dennis Bergkamp was the same. He’d already had a look before receiving the ball. He never wasted a pass, especially when he got into the last third. He’d pass the ball to me in a situation where it negated the defender.”
Michel Bruyninckx
“We need to stop thinking football is only a matter of the body, skillfulness will only grow if we better understand the mental part of developing a player. Cognitive readiness, improved perception, and better mastering of time and space in combination with perfect motor functioning. It’s about letting ‘competition’ go and opting for ‘education and apprenticeship’.”
Chris Ramsey
“Football intelligence is about being mentally versatile to roles and responsibilities quickly someone who moves from team to team and fits in no problem understands the nuances of different systems.”
Gary Neville
“For sportsmen or women who want to be champions, the mind can be as important, if not more important, than any other part of the body.”
Pep Guardiola
“If each person does their job, and they know what it is because I make sure they know, then we are a team that is difficult to beat.”