Europe’s football associations have long been aware of the need to develop grassroots football and are undertaking various initiatives to this end. In England, for example, The Football Association will invest some GBP 200 million over the next five years in improving all aspects of football. The main focus of its investment is on attracting more people to football (players, trainers, referees, managers and spectators), improving the quality of players and trainers, improving the organisation of local football and clamping down on bad behaviour.
In Norway too, moves are underway to improve the standard of play. The association has launched a programme to evaluate Norwegian football by comparing it with other European leagues. This study is expected to result in the definition of concrete aims, both for the national teams and its elite clubs. Upgrading facilities is an ongoing objective for many associations and the Bulgarian football association has made an important step in this regard by obtaining the government’s permission to build a national football centre on the outskirts of Sofia. The complex will comprise at least four football pitches, a hotel, a medical centre, Ieisure facilities and an administrative building. The building will cost more than EUR10 million. Construction began in May and is expected to take four years.
In Germany, the German football association has appointed former international and 1990 FIFA World Cup winner Andreas Brehme ambassador of the “1.000 mini-pitches” initiative. The campaign, which kicked off the in late 2007, aims to install 1.000 such pitches across the whole of Germany by the end of 2008 in order to increase access to football facilities, especially in inner cities. In tne Netherlands, the same aim has prompted the Dutch association to add a new dimension to its street football tournament, which will bring together 40,000 youngsters aged 12 or under this year, by targeting an increase in the number of participants to 100,000 by 2012.

Solomon Islands champions Kossa FC upset reigning OFC champions Waitakere United 3-1 in the first leg of the OFC O-League final at Lawson Tama Stadium in Honiara. Twenty thousand fans packed in to see Kossa create history by becoming the first Solomon Islands side to defeat a New Zealand team since the formalisation of football on the Solomon Islands in 1979. Joe Luwi (2) and James Naka were the goalscorers for Kossa while Waitakere scored what could prove to be a vital away goal through former NZ All Whites Jonathan Perry. The winner of the two-legged final will progress to the FIFA Club World Cup 2008.
One News Television broadcast coverage of the OFC O-League final first leg for local Solomon Islands audiences for the first time in the country’s history. Fans in Honiara and the outer islands were able to enjoy the match as part of a collaboration between the OFC and the local television station. Live radio coverage of the match was also broadcast by the Solomon Islands Broadcast Corporation.
Labasa overcame Ba 2-1 in the final of the “Champions versus Champions” series in Fiji to clinch the title for the first time in fourteen years. Labasa won the series 3-1 on aggregate after winning the first leg 1-0 at Subrail Park, thereby ending Ba’s dominance in the competition, which they had won every year since 1993.
The New Zealand U-17′s women’s s;de posted two impressive 4-0 victories over Australia in their build up for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. The results are very encouraging for New Zealand, who will be hosting the event from 28 October to 16 November 2008.
OFC Media and Communications have launched an E-newsletter. The first edition was sent out in April. Fans can sign up for future editions by visiting www.oceaniafootball.com

The president of the Colombian football association (FCF), Luis Bedoya, has announced two major projects to be carried out between now and the end of his mandate in 2010, the creation of a training and development centre for youth teams and a new association headquarters comprising offices, training pitches and facilities for the senior national team. Colombia will implement both plans with assistance from the Goal Programme (the first project has already been approved). The projects will be located in the Colombian capital, Bogota, for which an agreement in principle to provide land has already been sealed with the national and city governments.
Colombia is one of the few countries in South America that does not yet have a training centre for its national team. “We are good in footballing terms, but I am sorry to say that our association is weak,” admitted Bedoya. “Consequently, besides qualifying for South Africa 2010, our objective is to build these facilities and give our association financial solidity.” Bedoya also noted that the FCF is becoming more professional in all areas. “As a result, we have made significant progress in marketing and have improved our resources. We have overcome some financial problems and today the association is doing well in that sense, but we must grow and consolidate.” The president of competitive football in Colombia explained that most of the association’s resources are invested in the national teams. Both categories have established technical staff. The senior team is coached by Jorge Luis Pinto and a group of teachers; the youth teams have been coached for some time by Eduardo Lara, the man with the best knowledge of children’s and youth football in the country. Bedoya, who recently turned 48, will be in office until 28 August 2010.