State of the Game: How UK's world football map has changed

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State of the Game: How UK's world football map has changed


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Foreign footballers now appear in almost two thirds of minutes played in the Premier League - and here you can see exactly where they come from.

A BBC Sport study has calculated the total minutes played by each nationality in the English top flight, Championship and Scottish Premiership so far this season. We compared this with data from the whole of the 2007-8 season.

You can see just how things have changed on the world map of UK football by clicking on individual countries. The darker the colour the more minutes players from that country have played.

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St George's Park in numbers

St George's Park in numbers


More than 6,500 hours of pitch usage - approx 4,620 paid hours

More than 50 professional clubs used facility & stayed at St. George's Park

Three top European clubs - Monaco, Steaua Bucharest and Galatasaray - have used the facility for training

Between October 2012 and August 2013, 231 community/grassroots clubs played at least once at St. George's Park

28 different schools nationwide used the facility in its first year

57 courses (at all levels) delivered by FA Learning at St George's Park in its first year - including 34 coaching plus 17 medical, sports science & psychology

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24466418

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St George's Park centre of excellence officially opened

St George's Park centre of excellence officially opened

Football Association chairman David Bernstein has described the opening of its new centre of excellence as an "historic" day for the English game.

The £105m St George's Park complex in Staffordshire will house all 24 England teams, from junior to senior levels.

"We have to get more players through who can be full England internationals and this is where it will happen," Bernstein told BBC Radio 5 live.

"So much work has gone into this for so long and to see it now is fantastic."


The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were given a tour of the park


The 330-acre site was officially opened by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who were given a tour of the park.

Prince William, who is president of the Football Association, said: "Coming here and seeing these wonderful facilities gives me the same feeling as when I first went to the Olympic Park.

"It gives me great pride we have created in this country facilities that are beyond compare anywhere else.

"St George's Park is a concept totally new. It will provide more than just world-class facilities for our national team and more than a university from which hundreds of coaches will graduate.

"It will provide employment and a social hub for local people and will foster community spirit and purpose and hope throughout England."

England's players are using the facility for the first time this week as they prepare for their World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Poland.

Aimed at raising standards of play at all levels, it will provide a centre of excellence for training coaches and for sports medicine, sports science and psychology.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19881116