Xing Ma, Zainudin Bin Mohd Isa
Youth football in the United Kingdom is widely represented as an accessible route to physical development, social participation, and, for a small number of children, professional sporting advancement. However, access to sustained participation and development pathways may be unevenly distributed across socioeconomic groups. This study examines how socioeconomic status is associated with football participation among primary-school-aged children and how material resources, parental and institutional support, perceived barriers, and football identity may shape children’s intentions either to continue pursuing or to abandon the dream of professional football. The provisional research framework draws on Bourdieu’s theory of capital, an opportunity-structure perspective, Self-Determination Theory, and Social Identity Theory. A cross-sectional survey design was used with 624 children aged 8–11 years from 12 state primary schools in England and Wales. Football participation was assessed through frequency and duration of involvement, while the reconstructed model requires additional measures of household socioeconomic status, access to football resources, instrumental support, perceived financial and structural barriers, football identity, and professional football aspirations. The revised study is expected to clarify whether socioeconomic inequality affects not only the opportunity to participate in football but also children’s perceived feasibility of progressing toward professional pathways. The findings may inform schools, grassroots clubs, governing bodies, and community organisations seeking to reduce financial and institutional barriers in youth football.