Well, film-maker Greg Cruttwell decided to seek the answers and the result is ‘In The Middle’, which launched in cinemas on Friday.
The documentary follows a diverse group of match officials over the course of the Covid-curtailed 2019-20 season as they attempt to cope with the rigours of running grassroots matches.
Cruttwell is well positioned to explore the subject. He founded Balham Blazers youth football club in 2001. It started with an under-tens team in which one of his children played and has since come on in leaps and bounds.
Now Balham FC, the club play at Step 5 in the Combined Counties League Premier Division South.
The In The Middle director and producer said: “I ran the club for 21 years and in doing that I’ve coached at thousands of games. One of the fascinating things was seeing the people in the middle.
“I met so many interesting people, but I didn’t really get a deep look into their lives. In grassroots football, it’s such an eclectic bunch of people.
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