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The main purpose of this partnership is to enhance football at the grassroots level through coach education. For football to grow in the country, the development needs to happen at the grassroots level for which, having a string of top-tier coaches in the country is necessary. The BBFS currently trains over 2000 coaches and with this collaboration, the Saints will implement their specialized coaching curriculum which will be tailored to the needs of Indian coaches, blending European football with local context.
Why did BBFS partner up with Southampton FC?
Former academy product and club legend Matt Le Tessier was present at the event as well. (Image via XtraTime ‘X’)
Southampton are one of the oldest clubs in English football having been founded before the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea, so they are a very well-known club in England. They gained promotion to the Premier League at the end of last season from the Championship, the second tier of English football. However, they haven’t had a great start to the season, registering only a single point from the first six games. So, the question arises why is signing a deal with the Saints a landmark achievement from BBFS?
Apart from the fact that Southampton is a well known English side that plays in arguably the best league in the world and the experience they bring to the kids at BBFS will be immense, there’s another big factor for why the BBFS chose to sign this deal with them. The Saints are well-known as producing some of the best players in football and a lot of the players developed by the club have gone on to achieve great things.
Southampton have had one of the best academies in England for ages and have constantly churned out players that have helped the club over the years. The players either stick with the club after coming from the academy like club legend Matt Le Tissier, who was present at the event, or help the club earn a huge profit on them like they did with the sales of Alan Shearer, Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw and many more.
Southampton’s academy has produced:
Chris Baird
Gareth Bale
Callum Chambers
Nathan Dyer
Adam Lallana
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Kevin Phillips
Harrison Reed
Luke Shaw
Theo Walcott
James Ward-Prowse
Dennis WiseBest academy in the country?#SaintsFC pic.twitter.com/gjQI3knJrB
— Second Tier podcast (@secondtierpod) June 27, 2023
Over the years, the club has been responsible for producing brilliant footballers like the aforementioned Alan Shearer, Dennis Wise, Luke Shaw, Theo Walcott and of course, Gareth Bale. The club knows how to develop their players well, whether it be an academy product or a highly rated prospect bought from some other club.
Sadio Mane and Virgil Van Dijk, two of Liverpool’s stars of their only Premier League title win, both honed their skills at the St. Mary’s. Players like Danny Ings, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, and Dusan Tadic all came to the club from different clubs but showcased some of the best form of their respective careers while plying their trade for the Saints. With the BBFS partnering up with Southampton, it can be seen as an encouraging sign for the future of Indian football considering the club are one of the best when it comes to developing players from a young age.
