British expat’s inclusive football sessions aim to uncover UAE’s hidden talent

Football fanatic Chris Brown is a man on a mission.

The British expat, who has lived in Dubai since 2004, has always been passionate about the beautiful game, having once played professionally in England’s lower leagues.

He later founded CBF Performance, a UAE-based company that offers English FA international coaching courses for coaches working abroad and is also behind Dubai’s most prestigious youth tournament, the Mina Cup.

His latest endeavour, the CB10 community initiative, which kicked off earlier this week, is all about bringing the sport to as many young players as possible.

The initiative aims to support grassroots football by creating a safe, accessible and affordable environment where young players can enjoy the game whilst simultaneously enhancing the development of community coaches.

“The inspiration behind CB10 is twofold,” Brown told Gulf News.

“Firstly, we've been working with the English Football Association since 2006 to get coaches qualified over here in the UAE.

“The coaches are new to the game and don’t have an opportunity to get on the grass to coach because of the private academy model in the UAE.

“With the pay-per-play model, parents expect fairly highly qualified coaches leading the sessions because of the price they are paying, which doesn’t allow coaches with little experience to gain that much-needed experience.

“Secondly, I’ve got four children myself so I now appreciate how expensive it can befor kids to get into sport.

"I wanted to address this issue by offering a program for families who can't afford football sessions due to the high costs, giving them an opportunity to participate in our community sessions.

“All the coaches are under our guidance, I’m a UEFA A license coach and our staff have worked for professional football teams in England and Scotland, so it will help them develop their coaching skills following their qualification through the English FA coaching courses that we run.”

By the sounds of it everyone is a winner – families enjoy discounted football sessions, while aspiring coaches have the opportunity to hone their skills under the guidance of seasoned professionals.

But just how affordable are the sessions at CB10?

You might be surprised to learn that Brown and his team offer them for as little as 10AED through their subscription-based service.

“In terms of what the sessions look like, it’s all about fun, enjoyment and getting the kids playing,” says Brown.

“They will be age appropriate, so the sessions will be delivered in that manner, as the coaches focus on improving the technical ability of the kids.

“Under our guidance, we will instruct the coaches to not keep stopping the sessions to try and coach each child, as we want the sessions flowing. Plenty of games, enjoyment, 1 v 1, 2 v 2, 3 v 3 and so on.

“Ultimately what we’re trying to achieve is a program that we’re used to in Europe. You have volunteer-run programs that offer the community real grassroots football.”

As well as the cheap sessions, parents with multiple children can purchase a single package and use the credits (session) for all their kids at once. Each credit can also be redeemed flexibly, ensuring parents don’t waste money if a child misses a session.

“Generally private academies in the UAE ensure you pay for big blocks of sessions,” said Brown.

“If your children are ill, have a school trip or are on holiday then they basically lose their sessions. In our model, you pay 1500AED for 150 sessions, 10AED a session, but you can then book which session you want at any one time.

“Between Monday and Friday from 4-7PM, we have the same age groups at the same time. So, if you want to choose Monday, you go with that and then you have three hours before the session to decide whether you can or cannot go.”

With Brown launching what could be the UAE’s most inclusive football sessions, the goal is to discover untapped talent among young players who may have never had the chance to participate in structured coaching before.

Grassroots football is essential in developing future stars, offering children from all backgrounds the opportunity to learn the game, sharpen their skills and cultivate a lasting love for the sport.

Take Premier League stars Raheem Sterling and Bukayo Saka, for example. Both came from humble beginnings, starting out at grassroots level and are now household names known across the world due to their ability with a ball at their feet.

“We aim to unearth talent that is out there,” says Brown.

“Some families can’t afford to send their children to sessions, so there’s potentially a lot of talented children that are out there who could come through our program before heading to private academies and possibly professional clubs.

“We’re seeing the pathway now in UAE football, but no one is really focussing on those communities that don’t have the money to spend on coaching sessions.

“What sets us apart is our experience in working in youth development over the last 20 years in the UAE, but also working with professional clubs with the work that we do for CBF.”