Redwurzel
Well-known member
Just read an article called "Home Comfort" in When Saturday Comes, about Clubs could do more to support players. It focuses on Jadon Sancho and Djed Spence and how they have struggled in the last 18 months. The writer Callum Murray suggests that footballers from South London can struggle to integrate and can quickly be accused of having a bad outlook, when in fact they are just being themselves. This failure to integrate can often occur when a South London player moves to another part of the country with a different culture.
He suggests South London has become a hotbed in recent years for developing talented footballers. He gives the reason as cage football culture, the socio/economic landscape and an environment that fosters resilience.
Djed Spence is from Lambeth - Murray suggests many young people have to develop an attitude as a form of defence, where any weakness is punished.
I hadn't even thought much about this with Spence. I am also not convinced one area of London produces footballers of so different a character from the rest of the UK. But it has got me thinking. I did notice working class areas of London are developing quite a high percentage of young footballers. I had partly put it down to better resources and opportunities. I was not aware that South London was that much different from say East London.
Murray says Clubs should support young South London footballers coming to their club as they would do with young footballers coming from overseas.
He suggests South London has become a hotbed in recent years for developing talented footballers. He gives the reason as cage football culture, the socio/economic landscape and an environment that fosters resilience.
Djed Spence is from Lambeth - Murray suggests many young people have to develop an attitude as a form of defence, where any weakness is punished.
I hadn't even thought much about this with Spence. I am also not convinced one area of London produces footballers of so different a character from the rest of the UK. But it has got me thinking. I did notice working class areas of London are developing quite a high percentage of young footballers. I had partly put it down to better resources and opportunities. I was not aware that South London was that much different from say East London.
Murray says Clubs should support young South London footballers coming to their club as they would do with young footballers coming from overseas.