these are the steps helping towards building the foundations for the future, FINALLY owners that know a few things.

my LFC is way behind spurs and manu in india in this field , love to see us developing more and more LFC fans here

Its gonna be an awful bus journey for the young lads.
They,ll never get home in time for "Corrie".

It's so funny that the premiership is now setting up acadamies in India yet for 40 years they have ignored the wealth of tallented British Indian players we have living in England.

I doubt if anyone will come through, it's all about making money and new viewer markets. If they was serious about un-earthing tallent they would stop the ethnocentric bull-sh.it and actually bring through a Brittish Indian player.

By the way am old enough to remember the 70's when even on telly they were saying black players can't play in England because it's to cold for them, also remember the monkey chants and banana skin's on the pitch.

comment by Legendary Red or Dead (U4225)
posted 13 minutes ago
It's so funny that the premiership is now setting up acadamies in India yet for 40 years they have ignored the wealth of tallented British Indian players we have living in England.

I doubt if anyone will come through, it's all about making money and new viewer markets. If they was serious about un-earthing tallent they would stop the ethnocentric bull-sh.it and actually bring through a Brittish Indian player.

By the way am old enough to remember the 70's when even on telly they were saying black players can't play in England because it's to cold for them, also remember the monkey chants and banana skin's on the pitch.
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I think times have moved on legendary. I don't honestly believe that in the business of football that if any of the Asian prospective football stars were good enough that they'd be overlooked. There's too big a gap in the Market for Asian fans.

Rightly or wrongly I believe Asian culture places academic success way above sporting prowess. I think that's your biggest stumbling block; trying to get the full support and sacrifice of parents to let their children follow that particular dream unhindered by academic or business expectation.

with respect Hypnophilus, its's exactly those type of attitudes am talking about. I would say that 1st generation parents on occasion were the way you explain (i know in the 70's Brian Clough tried so hard to sign an Indian player who lived close to me as he was very tallented). However, Sociecty changes but it seems in my experience Brits are very slow to acknowledge change in other cultures and i don't think your really aware.

You have Indian leagues in this country and answer me this: are you seriously saying that there isn't one decent Indian player in this country.............are you really broad stroking a whole race of people Hypno?

Rightly or wrongly I believe Asian culture places academic success way above sporting prowess. I think that's your biggest stumbling block; trying to get the full support and sacrifice of parents to let their children follow that particular dream unhindered by academic or business expectation.
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This is a good debate, i'll wade in here, and say with a degree of experience that the above statement re academic expectation is strong among Asian folk, and there is also the tradition of evening religious classes... Every day!

If this kind of dedication was shown with football coaching/training among British Asians then it would certainly yield a lot of potential,

To achieve excellence you have to practice about 10,000 hours.. With decent coaching, that's a lot of repetition and would certainly require support of parents to make that happen.

If this buy-in isn't forthcoming, then it'll be another generation that may have to wait.

.are you really broad stroking a whole race of people Hypno?
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Of course I'm not. I'm sure there are some very good Asian footballers out there, as there are other athletes. Eg Amir Khan. However, where do India and Pakistan stand in the world rankings? Football isn't taken seriously enough as a sport certainly in 1st generation parents, and there is probably overspill of ideology into 2nd generation.

Redinthehead makes a very valid point about religious demands on time and commitment. Can you seriously imagine a player being at the peak of his game if he's fasting?

redinthehead
This is a good debate, i'll wade in here, and say with a degree of experience that the above statement re academic expectation is strong among Asian folk, and there is also the tradition of evening religious classes... Every day!
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Again as i said; out dated attitudes and also showing that you have very little idea of 'Asian' culture as where it has been at for the last 20 years.

Can i point out that you have just mentioned relgious evening classes, thus suggesting that all asians are muslims. Now i understand that due to the fanatics muslims are getting alot of exposure but did you know there are more Sikhs and Hindhu's in this country; they do not go to evening schools......again broad stroking and passing comments without really knowing much about the topic.

However, we use this term about parents etc etc but why is it that we don't look at this excuse for cricket players within the 1st class game ( i suppose those UK Asian families come from a different planet).

I know plenty from the 2nd generation, i really do find it weird how you can assume that their is some sort of buy in on no football for their kids. If we talk about the white english can we then assume all their families don't want the footballing kids to do well at school and focus on football only (i know this is not true due the friends childrens who are at present in acadamies) in fact the clubs go out of their way to make sure they get decent qualifications.

Again as i said; out dated attitudes and also showing that you have very little idea of 'Asian' culture as where it has been at for the last 20 years.

Can i point out that you have just mentioned relgious evening classes, thus suggesting that all asians are muslims. Now i understand that due to the fanatics muslims are getting alot of exposure but did you know there are more Sikhs and Hindhu's in this country; they do not go to evening schools......again broad stroking and passing comments without really knowing much about the topic.

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If you were to look at me you'd soon change your views on what I know or may not know about Asian culture.

There is a spill over of ideology due to the patriarchal structures of family, football was seen as a pastime and not a viable career prospect.

Sure there are a few obstacles to overcome but the main one is for players with obvious talent to make football the top priority in life.

Ideology is changing though and it is through education if the game that it is doing so. A group of us have completed our level ones due to the love of the game and will in time progress onward.

There has always been an interest in the game from the first Asians that came to the shores (1963 as my grandad used to say) it's just the focus on making it a priority rather than a pastime.

the cricket example you've put forward is valid- however top class football and training to become that is far far more intense.

As for fasting, the player doesnt have to if it affects his livelihood, ie day of/day before the game. I'm sure it's help to have a period of fasting before pre-season to keep the weight off though!

red in the head, looking at you wont change my views on what you have written, it's what you are writting that makes the difference. For as long as i can remember i have seen Indian players that can run with the ball and dribble better than alot of kids but they do have to learn about percentage football.

As per level ones in coaching thats all good, remember that different personalities respond to different ways of coaching, don't be inflexible like alot of UK coaches.

Oh someone ,mentioned about India and Pakistan's national team not being on the world map. Well can i just add that India has been held back as they have two associations who seem to be at logger heads all the time. However, very slowly i think Football in India is becoming more popular, Brasil has developed good relations politically with India and they have started to send coaches there to help develop a proper grass routes. Oh by the way, Canada does'nt have a decent football team either but we never draw implicit suggestions about race/physical when it's a 'white' Country; just a thought.

all coaches have styles that differ too. But it is level one still, just wanted to know whether we were doing more harm than good. That plus basic first aid and child protection.

Its a step forward.

Re canada, they don't have a decent cricket team either, but they are pretty good at ice hockey. Climate variation decides what prevails i'm sure. Plus their population isn't exactly massive.

India's billion plus population is sure to yield, with the right coaching, quite a few prospects.

In the next ten years i'd say we'd have an indian player in the premiership.

Re percentage football, all kids will play in an expansive way due to what is featured on match of the day, highlights etc, they'll replicate what they've seen. You can only coach that percentage football mindset.

As per skills school, perhaps we should have something similar for percentage football/tactics.

Good debate boys.

Re: fasting. It's interesting how some of my surgical colleagues observe fasting even though it undoubtedly affects their performance.

Clearly the same problems don't apply in sports such as cricket and hockey. However in those sports there are much fewer nations playing them to a high degree and consequently less talent to choose from.

Undoubtedly there is little difference between any race to excel at any sport physiologically. Culturally it is a different matter though.