Adidas and Chelsea FC launch 'Blue Pitches'

The grass-roots sport scene in west and south west London found itself with that little bit more support on Friday, with the launch of Blue Pitches, an initiative from Chelsea Football Club and its kit supplier, Adidas. Many thanks to them for the press release.

The scheme was launched at Battersea Park School in Wandsworth, with Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari, chief blazer Peter Kenyon, Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack present. There will be four pitches (like the one shown above), with Earlsfield and Eel Brook Common (both due today) following the opening of Wandsworth and World's End.

As a resident of the Garratt Lane area, I pass the Henry Prince Estate almost every day - so they really are building a Blue Pitch on my doorstep.

The aim of the pitches, which can incorporate tennis and basketball as well as football, is to get local kids involved in grass-roots sport. Primary use will fall to the club's community coaches, but will be free for the local community to use. Of course, there's an element of tackling knife/gun/drug culture and anti-social behaviour, and Adidas and Chelsea should be commended for a nice bit of work to that end.

As a sociologist by geekdom, this kind of thing is really important in my mind. I'm a staunch defender of football, and I'd be the first to argue that it should not bear the weight of social ills alone. But the fact is football is big enough and ugly enough to do plenty of good when it puts its mind to it, and it's always re-assuring when it does so.

The sheer size and financial weight of Chelsea Football Club means it, above almost any other, is capable of doing some real good in London's communities. Blue Pitches is a superb step forward, combining good intentions, excellent facilities and a velcro-esque gimmick.

Of course, what really matters is what Chelsea and Adidas do from here on in - and even then there's the wider question of whether even football is big enough to make a telling difference. Don't get me wrong, the country isn't in the state some would have you believe, but there are kids out there who need a real lift. Giving them the facilities to stay entertained and occupied might just keep a few on the rails who would otherwise have looked elsewhere.

However it turns out, Blue Pitches is an admirable attempt and well worth a mention. In the meantime, I might just have a mooch down to the Henry Prince to have a quick look-see for myself.