Peter Crouch and Theo Walcott support Grassroots initiative.

Theo Walcott and Peter Crouch today launched The FA Mars Just Play programme, a partnership between MARS and The FA that aims to arrest the decline in organised adult football by providing a new format of football and online tool to help adults find football near them.

The partnership is aiming to get 150,000 new participants playing the game for at least 30 minutes a week by September 2013, and deliver a total of 3.9m hours of extra football played each year throughout England

The launch took place in Camberwell at one of the first Just Play Centres, which will host kickabouts up and down the country from this week. The FA and MARS are opening 44 Just Play Centres across England this week and over 100 by December 2011 with more planned for 2012 and beyond. Each centre will be staffed by FA Mars Just Play Organisers, delivering casual football that can benefit up to 50 participants at any one time. All FA Mars Just Play Organisers will be accredited Level One coaches and will be equipped with FA Mars Just Play tracksuits.

From this week, people will be able to sign up to The FA Mars Just Play website by searching online for “Just Play”. The website will feature a search engine that allows subscribers to find their nearest centre for a kickabout, join an 11-a-side game or team in their local area, or search for a 5-a-side provider.

The FA Mars Just Play Kickabouts are designed to inspire adults to play regular, accessible football in any form no matter what their level of experience and ability is. The new initiative will help The FA and MARS tackle the challenges that face adults head on, by connecting footballers all over the country, and delivering facilities and Just Play Organisers at affordable prices.

Peter Crouch, MARS ambassador for The FA Mars Just Play programme, said: “We love football in this country but loads of people are put off playing because they don't have time, can't find good facilities or enough people to have a game with.

“The great thing about this scheme is that it will make it easier - no matter what your level or where you live, 'Just Play', and remember why you love the game so much.”

The programme is part of The FA’s National Game Strategy, a £200 million pound investment into grassroots football and is the latest milestone in MARS’ ongoing investment in football, having spent £48 million on the promotion of the sport since the 2006 Believe campaign. MARS’ work within the national game is part of a wider commitment to get the nation active through playing football.

According to Sport England’s research the number of people playing regular grassroots adult football in England is declining due to a lack of facilities, increased apathy, inflexible football options and logistical difficulties that hamper entering the game.

As part of a wider legacy around the new scheme, MARS and The FA have committed to ensuring The FA Mars Just Play Organisers and centres are sustainably managed and able to deliver 800 Just Play kickabouts run over the next 12 months. Over the course of the partnership, the number of new players across all forms of football, towards the 150,000 target, will be tracked and measured on a quarterly basis through Sport England’s Active People Survey.

Kelly Simmons, Head of The National Game at The FA, said: “It's our job to make sure that anyone who is keen to play organised football is encouraged and can do so easily.

“Lack of local facilities, time or like-minded people to play with are some of the factors identified which are putting people off.

“We should encourage everyone to 'Just Play' whatever their level of ability and are delighted Mars is behind us to make this happen.”

Fiona Dawson, President of Mars Chocolate UK, said: “MARS has a great heritage of working within football and since 2006 we have spent £48 million on football related activities that aim to bring the fans closer to the national game. Our partnership with The FA to create the FA Mars Just Play initiative marks an exciting time where we get to address some of the real issues that are impacting the state of the game.

“We aim to make it easier for players of any standard to be able to get back into playing football. Our commitment will be tracked and measured to ensure that we meet the objectives we have set together in partnership."

Another aspect of MARS’ involvement with The FA is the ‘MARS Win & Play With Your Heroes’ campaign that launched in March. The campaign offers consumers the chance to receive an invitation to participate in a football session, with England players, at Wembley. Consumers can enter by texting the 10 digit unique code printed inside participating promotional packs, or online at www.marsbar.co.uk.