How come...

[ramAnag]

Good point about the training facilities Bloomer. I visit a small village in southern Spain quite frequently and they have a superb local small arena...boot the ball high out of the 'ground' and it'll disappear about 700 feet down into a ravine but the facility itself is excellent.
All the small local towns and villages seem to have a football facility the equivalent of something between Moorways and Matlock Town, usually including floodlights, and the kids seem to be encouraged to practice their ball skills in the plazas and squares. All a far cry from parks covered in dog muck and signs saying 'no ball games'. Maybe it's the weather.