Both yourself and 50 make terrific points, Richybhoy
The collapse of youth football is indeed a major contributor to the demise of what was once a conveyor belt of outstanding talent.
Like yourself and most other working class kids, my world revolved around kicking a ball ' up the park ', or indeed in the street.
10 halftime 21 the game was the order of the day. Quite often three times a day.
So yes, the loss of what was in effect intrinsically part of the lives of working class youth, is probably impossible to quantify.
I think it goes much deeper though. We've all heard the arguments: societal changes, computer games, lack of parent/teacher involvement etc etc.
I think we've witnessed a tsunami of change affecting almost every aspect of life. King Canute would struggle to reverse them.