Episode details
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Face the Facts investigates how the professional club academies recruit thousands of young footballers - some of them only five years-old. Critics say it's a system that operates on an industrial scale which damages grass roots "fun" football and guarantees disappointment for thousands of players and their families. Yet, when the 2013-14 Premier league season kicked off last August, only 75 of the 220 starting players were qualified to play for England. And despite often being described as "the best club league in the world," the English Premier League (EPL) has seen a gradual decline in the performance of the national team. Greg Dyke responds for the Football Association and General Secretary Nic Coward responds for the EPL Presenter:John Waite Producer:Nick Jackson Editor:Andrew Smith.
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