Now you go away and do 16 hours recorded coaching, half with adults, half with kids, then come back to be assessed on two further topics. We were alternately taught a technique or aspect of the game – such as turning with the ball, or winning the ball back in a small-sided game – then asked to demonstrate how we would coach it. Playing abilities varied, a couple of players struggled to cope, at the other end of the scale a few topped up their regular wages playing non- League on Saturdays.On the old course you were judged at the end of the practical on your three topics. The Hughes book was used for its training routine, his “direct-play” (old-style Wimbledon) philosophy was not mentioned.The practical aspect is largely unchanged but there was a greater emphasis on coaching us to coach.

Both had been decent non-league players.The paperwork went on to include attitudes and ethics, physiology, overuse injuries, how to spot and guard against child abuse, nutrition, and further advice on the mechanics of coaching. The bold response was to run two courses alongside each other, one taken by county coach Keith Boanas, the other by Kenny Bremner, who was on Fulham’s youth coaching staff. The Surrey FA had already held one such course and suffered a considerable drop-out. “It used to be rare,” said Mark, who ran an under- 12 side, “but now most junior team managers have qualifications.”Most courses are at weekends, this was Monday to Friday, 9.30 till about 4.30, 50 hours in total, plus an evening studying the laws and another doing first aid.

One encouraging aspect for Wilkinson’s reform was the number of students who coached local youth or boys’ teams and wanted to be better qualified. Imad, the masseur, wanted another string to his bow when working with clubs. “Badger” had been asked to coach his nephew’s team and felt he ought to do it properly.He was not alone. Stuart, who was coming out of the RAF, was one of several who wanted to work in America at summer camps. Des and Andy, a father and son, intended to open a football school. Two already coached professionally, at Fulham and Watford, but wanted to expand their knowledge and gain the formal qualification. We were aged 20-45 but mainly in our 30s, all male except Michelle, a teacher, and included students of West Indian, middle-eastern and Asian descent.I had been worried about the difficulty of fitting the course around work – it was the week Frank Clark was sacked and Gianluca Vialli held his first press conference – but my concerns were put in perspective by Stuart.

A member of the RAF, he was on standby to go to the Gulf – several close colleagues were already there.There were other military personnel, several teachers (it was half-term), a hairdresser, a sports masseur, a surveyor, a shipping importer and recently graduated students.Motives varied. It was mostly common sense – making sure you had contact numbers for players’ next-of-kin and knew where a phone was; checking for things like broken glass that might cause injury – but it needed to be known.The classroom work, done by in groups and general debate, not lectures, also broke the ice before we headed for the pitches. This was the new, singing-and-dancing “modern” course?It was. For the next 75 minutes we talked about preparation: how to set up a session, the equipment required, aspects of health and safety, warming- up, cooling-down. At around 9am one Monday just over 30 of us wandered into the University of London’s playing fields near Wimbledon and were asked to squeeze into a classroom reminiscent of Tom Brown’s schooldays There was a blackboard but not enough desks We gazed wistfully at the pitches outside A dated Charles Hughes coaching book was passed around. It was launched amid fanfare by the likes of Alex Ferguson and Steve Heighway last autumn, but would it be any better?Early indications were not promising.

Costing pounds 90 it was designed in accordance with Uefa guidelines and in conjunction with the Professional Footballers’ Association and Loughborough University. Those who passed were unleashed on players with no further supervision and no requirement to keep their knowledge up to date.The course was at least 25 years old and it showed. Glenn Hoddle had not bothered doing it, or the full badge, the upper qualification, nor had many other managers from park to Premiership.Last month I took the Prelim’s replacement, the FA coaching certificate. A 30-hour course spent entirely on the training pitch – apart from a basic examination on the laws of the game – it was interesting and instructive but fundamentally flawed. There was no mention of nutrition, physiology, sports medicine, injuries, warm-ups or warm-downs. Among the most significant measures is a belated overhaul of the coaching system to ensure well-meaning amateurs will not be replaced by unsuitable professionals.Two years ago I took the FA Preliminary Coaching Badge, the lower tier qualification. Stay on that side and don’t cross the half-way line.”
That memory came back this week as the English Schools FA lamented the end of an era.