But what about the children who get sworn at by their coach or bullied by other players? What about the clubs where the physio has never had any medical training and the coach lets the players smoke and drink? What about the kids who get screamed at by overbearing parents on the touch-line? And worst of all, what about the mercifully rare cases where children have been sexually abused?

Making football safe and enjoyable for children is high on The F.A.'s priority list. And in August The Football Association launches a brand new project to help the 700,000 adults who work with children in football make the game even safer and more enjoyable than it already is.

Child protection and best practice - A guide will be available from 1st August. An interactive course, complete with video, it will give coaches, parents and referees the chance to sit down in their own time and assess themselves, their own teams, clubs and leagues. "This is not about telling people what they are doing wrong," explained Sue Law of The F.A.'s Child Protection team.

"It's about working with them, confirming what they are doing right and helping them think about things they might do differently. For instance, is it acceptable to have a post-match shower at the same time as the kids? Many people do it quite innocently, maybe because they want to rush off home to watch the match or something, and it's only when you point it out that they think, 'Actually, I shouldn't be doing that.' One of the aims is to prevent innocent people leaving themselves open to allegations, and in so doing making it harder for potential abusers to camouflage themselves.

"Is it acceptable to make children play in shorts and t-shirts on a freezing February morning?," continued Law.

"Is it acceptable to train young players so hard they are physically sick? We are asking these questions, just to make people think about the way they are working with children and, in most cases, confirm that they're doing it right."

And after filling out a series of check-lists, participants in the course will receive a child protection certificate to show they have successfully completed it. As well as knowing for sure that they are doing everything right for the children they work with," she added.

"It's something they could show to parents, or parents could ask for, for instance, when children are thinking about joining their club."

To find out more, or to order Child Protection and Best Practice - A guide, telephone 01332 866 454 or e-mail goal@themediagroup.tv  

Up until Christmas the course costs £7.50, after that it will be £10. #