Throughout March and April 2012, Shropshire FA Football Development Team have organised a series of football festivals, giving the next batch of young players their first football match day experience.
Three under 7s football festivals have been organised in partnership with Market Drayton Tigers FC, Onny Juniors FC and Shropshire Junior League. With many grassroots clubs now running training for players aged as young as 5, the aim of the festivals has been to give these players a positive first experience of playing in matches against other teams.
Just like the under 8s Leagues in which these players will hopefully go on to play, fixtures were played on a friendly basis, with no results and league tables kept. This allowed the focus to remain on the development and enjoyment of these players, in some of their first experiences of the game.