Welcome to OSL Football, the home of all of our amateur and grassroots football blog posts, news articles and tips.
We’re covering tips, tricks and everything you need to know about grassroots football and amateur football in the UK for aspiring superstars, their parents and those who just love the game.
Brighton and Hove Albion, affectionately known as the Seagulls, has a history as colourful as the city it represents. While the team’s recent successes are well-known, there are many lesser-known facts that add to the rich tapestry of this beloved club. Let’s dive into some of these intriguing and obscure facts.
West Ham United, a club with a heart and soul that resonates deeply in English football. While their famous claret and blue colours are well-known, there are plenty of lesser-known facts that make the Hammers’ history so fascinating. So, let’s take a stroll down memory lane and discover some of these hidden gems.
Tottenham Hotspur, affectionately known as Spurs, is a club rich in history and tradition. While most fans are familiar with their famous players and trophy-laden years, there are plenty of lesser-known facts that contribute to the tapestry of this storied club. Let’s explore some of these hidden gems in a light-hearted, easy-to-read manner.
Aston Villa, a name that resonates with a rich footballing heritage and a fan base as passionate as they come. But how much do you really know about this storied club? Sure, the history books and trophy cabinets tell one story, but let’s dive into the more hidden crevices of Villa Park and uncover some truly obscure facts about Aston Villa Football Club.
Arsenal is the only club to have receives a special gold Premier League trophy, commemorating their “invincibles” season. Let’s talk more about that and 11 other obscure facts about this historic football club.
The global brand that is Chelsea FC has humble beginnings having been first founded in a pub across the road from what is now the Stadium. Let’s talk about this and other lesser known facts about Chelsea.
Did you know Manchester City gets a mention in the novel ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Let’s talk more about that and 12 other facts you may not have known about the blue side of Manchester.
Manchester United might not be having a great deal of success adding to their trophy room over the last few years. But that can’t take away from their global fanbase, silverware filled past and rich history. In this article, we take a look at 12 facts about Manchester United that you may not know – YET!
Newcastle United (or the Magpies/Mags as they’re often more commonly known to their fans) has an incredibly rich history and notoriously committed fan base. But did you know the club’s origins are actually in… CRICKET?! Here’s more about that and 11 more facts about Newcastle United that you probably didn’t know.
The Premier League winter transfer window is right around the corner. So we take a look at the most hotly anticipated potential transfers of the window.
While the eyes of the world may very well be on both Europe and South America next summer for their continental showdowns – namely UEFA Euro 2024 and the Copa America – Africa has a tournament of its own. And you won’t have to wait until summer to experience it.
Coaching kids is both rewarding and challenging. We all know, as coaches, that the result is by far NOT the most important thing. But here’s the case for a development first, results later approach
It’s getting pretty difficult to keep up with all the women’s football records being set! And on the opening weekend of the WSL 2023/24 campaign,
There are hundreds of thousands of people running around football pitches every single week with the dream of making it pro. Only very few will ever get there. But how do you increase your chances?
Never mind the best team. We can argue over that all day. We wanted to know who has the best stadium so we turned our attention to Trip Advisor to find out.
So it’s decided. England top their World Cup Group and go on to play Nigeria next week in the women’s World Cup. We’ve already looked at how the Lionesses stack up on social media, so how does the Nigerian Squad compare?
There’s high hopes back home for the Lionesses in the World Cup. But with a few key players missing due to injury, it could be a tough tournament for the Europeans champions. Still, we’ve got quite the squad! And here they are ranked – but not on performance on the pitch! We’ll let the pundits do that. Instead we’ve looked at the Instagram followings of the England World Cup Squad.
Grown ups behaving badly at junior football games… if you’ve spent any time in the junior games at all, you’ve probably seen it yourself. And now grassroots coaches Simon Compton and Mark Jones lift the lid on some awful adult behaviour in the junior game in their new book “The Accidental Manager.”
The move from under 8s to under 9s is a big one on junior football, with a considerably larger pitch, a change from 5 a side to 7 a side and longer games too. So here are some tips to help your team with the transition.
Cup final season in the junior football calendar is upon us. A big came can be a nerve wracking thing for an adult player, so imagine that pressure for the first time amongst the youngest players in the game! We talk tips for keeping kids calm before cup finals and other big games.
Love them or loathe them, Liverpool is a powerhouse of a Premier League footballing site with an epic history. Here are 5 fascinating facts you probably didn’t know about the red half of Merseyside.
The Premier League is one of the best football leagues in the world, sporting legend status players and attracting millions of eye balls every single week. But how did we get from such humble amateur footballing beginnings to here? Let’s take a look.
Football. It’s magic. And while the top tier teams will often consistently perform, on the odd occasion there’s an upset to remember. Here are 6 of our favourite footballing upsets in English football history.
There are specific rules, set out by the Football Association, that must be followed when playing football at under 10s level. “Mini Soccer” is played by all children up to the age of 10. All you need to know about the sport for children at this age is set out below – from how many players on a team to the size of the pitch, goals and even the size of the ball that is used.
Football at under 9s in England follows the laws of Mini Soccer. These laws entail the maximum playing time for children, how many players can play in a match and even the size of the ball that should be used. If you want to get your child involved in Football and they are in this age group, here is all you need to know.
Under 8s football adheres to the FA laws of “Mini Soccer,” which determine the age of players, time limits on games and other things too. Got a child going into under 8s football or considering it? Here’s everything you need to know about football at this level in England.
What size of football should children use? We look at FA laws governing ball size and the requirements for games in youth football. Pictured: Baby with a size 5 ball. Definitely not FA sanctioned! 😂
As 68,800+ people packed out Old Trafford to cheer on England women’s team in their Euro 2022 opener, it’s important that we reflect on just how far the women’s game has come. And let’s not forget that 101 years ago, the FA effectively banned the women’s game. That ban would go on to last half a century. Here’s the story of how a factory football team of ladies became the catalyst for an FA ban on the women’s game.
We tried out Flick Football’s urban ball returner for a drop kick training session with our 7 year old. Here’s what we thought of it, the pros and cons and a bit more information about the product as a kick training device in the context of young players.
Under 7s football follows the laws of “Mini Soccer,” which determine the age of players, time limits on games and other things too. Find out everything you need to know about getting started with U7s football in England.
Traditionalists may not like it! But personally, I don’t like to risk being stuck on a hill or mountain with a dead phone or head torch battery. So I like to carry a portable charging device (or 2, or 3) with me. Here are the best portable charging banks for hiking that I’ve used. (And I’ve used a lot, by the way).
We don’t post loads on social (shock, horror, we know). But we will try harder… promise!