Basically, this is a campaign set up by some of the Blue Square Premier clubs most recently relegated from the Football League - Rushden, Oxford, York, Mansfield, Wrexham and Cambridge. All 6 clubs have very healthy youth setups which have helped produce dozens of players who now play in the Premier League and Football League. However, following relegation from the Football League, funding for a club's youth setup is halved for the next two seasons and then withdrawn completely thereafter, making it very difficult for the club to continue funding youth development.
Potentially even more damaging though, is that those clubs who are able to continue their youth schemes lose protection for their players. This means that other clubs can 'poach' any youth player and the club who had invested so much time and money in developing the player are not entitled to any compensation. I'm sure you'll all agree that this current system is far from fair.
The PFF campaign isn't just focused on ex-League clubs, but aim to secure funding and player protection for any full time clubs that run a Youth Development Scheme which meets the FA's qualitative criteria.
It would be greatly appreciated if you could spare a few moments to fill in the online petition, which can be found at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/pff/petition.html
For more information about the PFF, please see:
http://www.protectfootballsfuture.co.uk/index.shtml
