Inventive Football is a grassroots football initiative aiming to boost talent from the British Asian community and make it easier for young players to get spotted by clubs.
We spoke to Jas Jassal, co-founder of the venture with Baljit Rihal.
As the vice-chair of a multicultural grassroots junior football club, Jas is passionate about giving young talent the chance to demonstrate their skills and make a living from the game.
He’s aware of the disparity between the representation of players of Asian background on the junior and the adult level of the game. “When speaking to our coaches and watching the games of our junior team every Sunday we see a depth of talent. Why is this talent not being scouted?”
'Young talent'
“In London alone 8 per cent or so of the population are from the Indian subcontinent and there is little representation in the game. But there’s so much young talent that only needs to surface and be made visible.”
“We believe that there is a link missing between the football clubs and the local communities. We must acknowledge that club football is based on money and that many clubs would rather import ready-made players than rely on local talent, though that is a poor investment in the long run.”
“We started Inventive Football some years ago and it really kick-started when Chelsea started their Asian Soccer Star Search. They realised that there is a lot of talent in front of their doors that they just need to let in. They approached us to provide them with some ideas and gave the issue a real boost.”
“The scouting system lacks structure when it comes to engaging new communities. There are no structural links between football authorities and certain communities.”
'Community trials'
“We promote the idea to organise community trials for young players. We approach high-profile clubs and ask them to send their coaches to deliver a session.
"We are currently working alongside Chelsea FC and have secured a deal which will bring their top class Premier League coaches into the West London community over the coming months. This attracts kids who want to showcase their skills, and coaches get the opportunity to spot promising talent.”
“These events aim at increasing the visibility of the diversity of the game and help market local talent from all different communities. Newspapers, radio stations and ambassadors can also push the issue.”
For more information contact Jas Jassal on 07768 762422 or email jas@inventivefootball.co.uk
