adidas supports local grassroots football programme

Today, adidas South Africa helped support the official launch of the Football4All initiative – a grassroots football programme developed by a number of former South African international football players who will contribute in coaching novice primary school children.

“The lack of ‘development’ in local football has been a major talking point in recent months and the launch of the Football4All project couldn’t come at a better time”, says George Dearnaley, former Bafana striker and Director of Football4All. “We are not looking at developing elite athletes, we aim only to teach the proper basics, using former international players as coaches, providing a real service to local football”, he continued.

Football4All is open to boys and girls – aimed at promoting a healthy and active lifestyle amongst primary school children, particularly in the Mitchells Plain area, before taking on the Khayelitsha cluster and will eventually move north to Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

Adrian de Souza, Sports Marketing Team Manager of adidas South Africa: “We have agreed to a 3 year technical sponsorship deal with Football4All, providing all kit and equipment for the duration of the programme and look forward to this project growing even further”.

Other former South African international football players involved in the programme include Gerald Stober, Andrew Tucker, Duncan Crowie, Brian Baloyi, Desiree Elis, and David Nyathi some of whom were present to coach at the launch. Other names are set to join the programme as it grows in strength.