This article was originally published in Radio Times magazine.
When Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish watched the new documentary series capturing life behind the scenes of his club’s football academy, he had to hold back tears: “I nearly cried three times during each of the six episodes and I know all the boys involved!”
It’s an unexpected admission from a man in the traditionally hard-nosed position of football club co-owner, but then Football Dreams: the Academy takes us on an emotional and sometimes heart-wrenching journey full of hope and disappointment.
Filmed over 12 months, the series follows players aged nine to 18 who are desperate to make it in the Premier League. With contracts regularly up for renewal and less than one per cent of students making it into the top flight, some kids forgo socialising to dedicate their spare time to football. It is, as Crystal Palace star forward Wilfried Zaha admits in the series, “a dog-eat-dog” world.
The 116-year-old club, in the heart of one of the most diverse, densely populated and disadvantaged areas in London, has a state-of-the-art academy, comparable to those at elite clubs like Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea. For a lot of young people who enter its doors, football is more than a dream – it’s a way out of poverty.
Aspiring football stars include Bola, Kairo and Kayden, who play for Palace’s under-12 team. They have been playing football together since they were four or five and are so close that their coach calls them “the band of brothers”. But will all three have their contracts extended or will there be heartbreak ahead? Bola’s mum brings her three kids up alone, working as a nurse and somehow finding £160 to buy Bola a pair of new football boots. Kairo’s dad died when he was five, while Kayden, who might be too small to be a professional footballer, wants to earn money so that he can look after his mum and dad – and buy a house with a pool, cinema and jacuzzi.
The pressure to succeed is of course integral to life in the academy, but the boys’ expectations must be managed and the club has a clear duty of care towards those who don’t make the grade. In 2020, an 18-year-old boy took his own life less than two years after being released by Manchester City following a knee injury.
“We have to ensure that we monitor any of the black holes the boys might fall into, so that the terrible things that happened in the past don’t happen again,” says Parish. “My hope is that for the boys who don’t make it, their experience at the academy turns out to be a pivotal part of their life. They can perhaps move into football-related jobs, like coaches or physios, but ultimately I want them to feel that we are always there for them.”
Despite being aware of concerns that academies push their kids too hard at such a young age, Parish, 57, insists that “in all walks of life, talent is not enough”. “You need lots of other qualities, hard work and application in order to really excel in your intended profession. Nothing comes easy in life.”
He adds that “football is, in many ways, life laid bare. It’s very black and white, win or lose. You have to ask what those kids would be doing if they weren’t at the academy. When they are with us, they develop discipline and perhaps they don’t drink alcohol. They certainly won’t be getting themselves into areas of trouble. It’s no different to parents who have very academic aspirations for their kids – football is singled out because it’s sport. But the kids at the academy learn that pressure is a part of life.”
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Parish is candid about his own mental strength and how different it is to be a young man now. “My generation didn’t really think or talk about it. These days we need to understand when people are going through difficult times. I see that ‘softer’ boys succeed in football now. As a younger man, I would have shied away from football environments because I’d have felt they were too harsh, too dominated by bullies and the physically stronger boys. What we’re hoping is that by having a nurturing and caring environment, the boys will turn into socially aware men with a much softer side to them and be much more in touch with their emotions.”
Having been a fan of Crystal Palace from the age of four and led a consortium that saved the club from administration in 2010, Parish doesn’t feel as though his job is done yet. In the next year or so, the plan is that the academy will be able to offer the boys not only access to tutors, but also full-time education. He says he’d like to think that the club would help a parent who is struggling to buy their son boots, but points out that there’s a fine line between help and inducement.
Amid the success of England at the Euros, Parish also admits that there is work to be done with Palace’s women’s team and girls’ academy. “We have to hold our hands up and say that we haven’t done enough to support either, but we are putting more money into both areas,” he says.
Back in 2017, Parish curiously withdrew from a series of Dragons’ Den before filming a single episode – was it because he realised he had to put Palace first? “I didn’t realise it was filmed in Manchester four days a week and I thought it might be polarising; when you’re trying to push a football club forward, you want to keep as many people as possible onside. We were going through a difficult period at the club and it wasn’t the right time. But I’d never say never.”
However, as much as the fate of the boys in the academy moved Parish to tears, he has myriad other things to worry about, not least the return of football hooliganism. In May this year, fans swarmed the pitch after Everton secured their Premier League safety by beating Crystal Palace. “The number one thing I’m worried about is pitch invasions. We went through a period when the pitch was sacrosanct, but last season the spell was broken. I genuinely worry for the individual safety of the players. These invasions are very different to those of the 70s.”
Last season’s pitch invasions saw a number of fans aggressively putting phones in players’ and coaches’ faces and posting images online – a trend that has Parish concerned. “What are we waiting for? For someone to injure a player for notoriety? The media were talking about the fans’ passion, but we need to get on top of it. None of us want to go back to fences, large police presences and an absence of families at the game.”
When you see the “band of brothers” on screen, their voices on the cusp of breaking, you might wonder if the footballing life is for them. Parish, of course, gently disagrees. “We agreed to do the TV series to enlighten people about how academies work. They are tough environments, but it’s not just about developing the boys in terms of football.”
The children’s friendships make the documentary particularly memorable, but Parish says it runs deeper than that. “It shows what it takes to succeed at the top of professional sport – and at anything at all.”
Football Dreams: The Academy airs tonight Thursday 11th August at 9pm on Channel 4. Looking for something else to watch? Visit our TV Guide.
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