Having grassroots sport taken away has been one of the things I’ve found toughest about this pandemic, particularly in the third lockdown. ‘If you are sat in an office for five days a week, the sport is a release at the weekend. Stuart Broad recognises the importance of grassroots sport (Picture: Getty Images)He says: ‘It gives them all sorts – it gives them a competitive edge, which is sometimes seen as a negative thing but I don’t think it is. Concerningly, 56% of parents say they will struggle financially to enable their child to play grassroots football this year, with one in five not returning their child to their club due to a lack of funds. Taking that away is quite grim, really.’The escapism grassroots sport can provide is surely unparalleled.

Source: Metro May 12, 2021 09:56 UTC