On the 60th anniversary of England’s World Cup win, John Shiels is on the forecourt at Old Trafford talking about why he is riding up and down the country at the age of 67, visiting all 92 Football League clubs, to raise money for a charity started by one of the heroes of ’66.
Shiels is a Nottingham-born lad who moved to Manchester at the age of 18 and never left. Until June, he was the chief executive of the Manchester United Foundation, a position he had held for 16 years and one that matched his passion for football with his passion for helping the community.
He retired from that job on June 10, and on June 11 he set off on his mission to visit every EFL club, raising the profile of the community work they do, and raising funds for the Sir Bobby Charlton Foundation.
Shiels is one of five on the ride, with 70 clubs and 1,316 miles completed so far, and all of them met Sir Bobby through his pioneering soccer schools. Shiels became so close to Sir Bobby, one of Manchester United’s and England’s greatest ever players, that he delivered a eulogy at his funeral three years ago.
For Sir Bobby, despite all he went through with the Munich air disaster, football was the beautiful game, and Shiels believes that it is in danger of being lost. Which is why he started tapping those pedals.
“Having worked with him and knowing him for so long, the beautiful game mattered to him,” said Shiels. “And you look around, things are happening at a right old pace, the stuff from FIFA [selling the World Cup] and, and you think, you know what, we have to fight to keep the beautiful game.
“To some extent, I think he sort of got the role of being the statesman of the game because of what happened, and he stood up to that. But he never lost that love for it, he’d say, “Football is the best toy ever invented.” And the power to play is so important that we have lost.
“You look at what’s happening with FIFA, and you look at what’s happening around, and we are losing that access to the game, unless someone starts standing up and talking about it, we will lose it.”
Sir Bobby’s foundation started as a landmine clearance charity, before shifting its focus on to football, and offering children across the world access to the game he loved.
Now Shiels and his team are raising funds to make sure that can continue, but closer to home. The cost of playing has increased at home, and as the game becomes ever more like a business, he believes it is in danger of losing its essence.
“Shockingly, there are still tens of thousands of young people in England who can’t afford to play affiliated football,” he said. “To play for a team now costs you between £35 and £40 a month. If you’re unfortunate and you’re born in a family that is struggling, they’re not going to pay £35 to £40 a month to let you play football.
“Football wasn’t about kicking a ball. It’s about making lifelong friendships. It’s about keeping yourself fit. It’s about being part of something, belonging to something. If you’ve not got it, your life isn’t the same as it could be. And it costs pennies.”
This is a mission with which Sir Bobby would undoubtedly agree. He founded his soccer schools in 1978 with a clear aim and never stopped wanting others to have the opportunity that he had.
“He just loved it so much,” said Shiels. “To the extent that when we were talking to him about Bobby Charlton Soccer Schools, what did he want that to feel like for a kid? And he’d go, “I want every day to feel like Christmas Day.”
“He came from a working-class background. Football was his way out. He never forgot his roots. He understood the privilege he had, but also the responsibility he had to make sure that it keeps getting passed on.
“Football is the national game; it’s magical. If we’re not careful, it is losing its magic… We are losing that access to the game, which unless someone starts standing up and talking about it, we will lose it.”
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