SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Dear Supporter

This has been the most amazing year for both myself and Rick Fenoglio, co-founders of GUBOG
We had no idea when we started out that we would find ourselves overwhelmed with so many emails of support and encouragement.

GUBOG is becoming the most influencial campaign in children's sport for years and in order to continue as we are, we desperatly need funding.
We are a not for profit organisation working towards charity status and need additional funding from sponsorship and advertising.

Therefore we are appealing to all our supporters for help.
Do you own or work for a business that might be interested in sponsoring or advertising with us?

A huge thankyou to everyone out there who has helped to make this campaign the success that it is.
I look forward to hearing form you if you can help us.

Kind Regards

Paul Cooper
giveusbackourgame@gmail.com

THE DUTCH APPROACH

In today's Times is this article on the Dutch system for youth football.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article2957535.ece

In April, Give Us Back Our Game in conjunction with the dutchUK football School is organising a coaches trip to Holland.
This is to see how the Dutch system works, which has the child at the centre.

The tour visits both professional and amateur clubs and looks at training and games with both children and adults.

For more information, please contact Paul Cooper on giveusbackourgame@gmail.com

GUBOG IN THE TIMES

There is an article about Give Us Back Our Game in the Times today as well as several pages on 'The Lost Generation' - what is wrong with kids football.
Here is the article on us
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article2951191.ece

We will also feature in another article in the Times about football in Holland later this week

GUBOG IN THE PRESS

Since England were knocked out of the Euro 2008 qualifiers we have been contacted by a lot of the media who are interested in what is happening at grass roots level both here in the UK and what is happening abroad.
Is it really connected?

The important thing is that it opens the debate again into children's football.

Here are the two articles that appeared in Sundays papers. The Observer and the Sunday Mirror.

http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/sport/football/2007/11/25/there-is-hope-98487-20158004/

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2216617,00.html

CHIPPENHAM TOWN COUNCIL

I had a great morning watching an U7s GUBOG Matchday Experience event run by Chippenham Town Council.
They do this once or twice a month and are looking at doing it every Saturday and including more age groups.
On a bitterly cold morning 32 children turned up (a great number for 4v4s!)
The children were made up of boys and girls from two clubs and a number of individuals as well (anyone is welcome)

6 teams of 4, all played 6 x 10 minute matches
After the first game we changed a few players around to make the teams roughly even and the football was great.
The teams are all mixed and I walked around asking parents their thoughts.
They all said the first 2 weeks the kids were a bit unsure about going out of their club side teams, but now love it. Something different each time and it really helps with both their social and football development.

The council have just purchased some portable floodlights and are now looking at running a weekly GUBOG event for teenagers underlights on grass.
Can't wait to go and see that!

Give Us Back Our Game, Chippenham Town Council and North Wiltshire District Council working together for the children.

MORE COUNTY FA's JOIN UP

As well as Staffordshire and Shropshire County FA's wanting to do GUBOG fun days and festivals. They have been joined by Huntingdonshire and Lancashire County FA's.
One of the FA skills coaches based in Lancashire said that the 4v4 fun games where kids referee themselves and where there is no coaching is the perfect environment for children to try out their newly found skills.

ACADEMIES - C of E's

Sue Palmer is an author and writer on children's issues. She has two best selling books, Toxic Childhood and Detoxing Childhood (which featured GUBOG)
Sue is at present writing a book on 'Boys' and is interested in interviewing anyone who has had experience of excessive 'hot housing' in Academies and C of E's that has ruined players.

If you have a story to tell, please can you contact me in the first instance.
Paul Cooper giveusbackourgame@gmail.com

CREATIVITY

Why are we not creating imaginative creative players like we have in the past.
Because adults know best?

Creativity and Consciousness
Chris Lucas
"A mind that is stretched to a new idea,
never returns to its original dimension

Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-1894)

"In 1968, George Land gave 1,600 5-year-olds a creativity test used by NASA to select innovative engineers and scientists. He then re-tested the same children at ages 10 and 15. The test results were staggering! 98% at age 5 registered genius level creativity, 30% at 10 year and 12% at 15 years of age. The same test given to 280,000 adults placed their genius level creativity at only 2% ! In his book 'Breakpoint and Beyond', co-authored by Beth Jarman, Land concluded that non-creative behavior is learned".

COMMUNITY PROJECT

Give Us Back Our Game have been working along side a terrific community project in Ashford called South Side FC.
Every Saturday children from 10-13 years old play 4v4 and other SSG's in Victoria Park. Every week they are getting 5-6 new players and the kids are playing some great imaginative football.

I am at present working on another project which is in my own neighbourhood called the Chesterton Project.
We are looking at running fun SSGs for the local kids at two grass sites.
There has been a lot of problems with drink, drugs and arson recently and there is very little for the kids to do.
This will be run more on youth club lines than football club lines and we have already sorted out insurance etc.
If we get this up and running, GUBOG would like to use it as a blue print for community projects all over the country.
Lets get kids out and playing football.

COUNTY FA's TO WORK WITH GUBOG

It has been a very busy week and we are delighted to announce that both the Shorpshire FA and Staffordshire FA will be holding GUBOG fun days and festivals throughout their respective counties.

Last Saturday we had a great workshop at Faversham Town in Kent which we shared with two of the FA skills coaches.
Yesterday we had a meeting in Batley, Yorkshire about a joint GUBOG, schools fun day on the 12th December involving 7 schools.

This coming Saturday I am attending the Chippenham Council run 'GUBOG Matchday Experience' for U7s and U8s. They are also doing GUBOG sessions at many of the local schools.

Next week we have a meeting with Bulmersh School in Reading about a 5 school fun day and also discussions with Cotswold District Council about some community projects.

Give Us Back Our Game is out there and 'living' with boys and girls from football clubs, schools, council run projects, youth clubs, soccer schools and playgroups 'playing' football on their own terms, having fun and using their imagination

YOUR FOOTAGE OF JUNIOR/YOUTH FOOTBALL NEEDED

DO YOU HAVE FILM FOOTAGE OF PARENTS, COACHES, MANAGERS OR ADULTS BEHAVING BADLY AT YOUR CHILD'S FOOTBALL MATCH OR TRAINING SESSION?

Give Us Back Our Game and Dont X The Line have been approached by an independent television production company currently producing a documentary on children's football and the real life stories of players, coaches, parents, officials and supporters. The Producers are currently compiling footage of video, digital cameras and mobiles to help illustrate the plight of children's football.

The ultra-competitiveness that exists on the touch line of training grounds and match day pitches in junior/youth leagues is now cause for concern.

If you would like to submit any footage or stories no matter how ludicrous to be considered for the programme please contact the producer Ernie Brennan at ernie@capricornproductions.co.uk or log onto www.capricornproductions.co.uk for further information.

GUBOG part of FA Working Party

We are pleased to report another significant milestone in the short life of Give Us Back Our Game.

We have been included in the FA's working party on Mini Soccer. The other people on the working party include County FA's, Leagues, EFSA and the FA The findings of the party will be presented at both the National Game Conference and the Football Development committee at the FA later this year.

We have only been able to get this far because of your tremendous support. We have already had a lot of feedback on mini soccer, and welcome more of your experiences both good and bad.

Thank you for your support!