An U21 league is one of a number of ideas being considered by the Bedfordshire FA as part of their National Game Strategy.

A nationwide initiative, the strategy sets out how the Football Association intends to run grassroots football over the next four years.

One of the four chief objectives of it is to increase the number of people playing the game in addition to retaining those who are already involved.

With an increasing number of young players being lost to the game after the age of 16, steps are being taken to reverse this process, which is where the concept of an U21 league comes in.

The brain behind the idea is Paul Prescod who is involved with Wootton Park Rangers.

He said: "Both the FA and the Michael R Peters League are interested.

"There are plenty of young lads who aren't ready to go into adult football and we need something to keep them interested."
This is a view shared by Kevin England, the Bedfordshire FA county development manager.

England said: "There is nothing as ridiculous as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

"We (the FA) recognise that we get a drop-off in the numbers at 16, partly because there are not enough under 18 teams and also because of the availability of suitable facilities."

One of the solutions could be a bridging of the gap at U21 level but, for this to happen, a few stumbling blocks would have to be overcome, a fact England is all too aware of.

He said: "There are issues to do with cost, how many teams would be interested and when the league would take place.

"It might mean the league is run in the summer initially as a sort of trial or over a shorter period in the winter months.

"We are looking at alternative forms of the 11-a-side game purely to make the game more accessible."

The issue of cost, and the impact this has on accessibility, is one of the main reasons Prescod is keen to force the issue of an U21 league and he accepts that something will have to give if it is to become a reality.

He added: "The price to hire a pitch goes up considerably from junior to adult football and this is a big problem.

"Unless this changes, nothing will happen.

"Some people just can't afford to pay a fiver or something like that to play football every weekend."

Prescod acknowledged the work of the Beds FA who, as England suggested, are in the process of making significant changes that could see the idea of an U21 league becoming more than an idea on a piece of paper.

He concluded: "I'm pretty confident that it will happen because it has to. There is a need for it.

"The Beds FA have got some brilliant ideas and if we can get everyone on board, the league could happen."