They stole our football and we are taking it back.

Football is a beautiful game which can be played by anyone and everyone. It can be played by children and grandparents. It can be played by people who are very good and people who aren’t very good. It is a game of inclusion. And it is fun.

Yet, people have come and stolen it. These people are big and angry and greedy and have no scruples whatsoever.

Some footballers earn over a $1M a week (salaries and sponsor deals included) and still work out ways of not paying any tax. One footballer was transferred for around $263M. These are mind numbing figures in a world of gross inequality.

Imagine what that money could be used for. That money could be used to buy houses for thousands of homeless people or create jobs for thousands of other homeless people. It could be used to provide opportunities for homeless people to use football as a way for changing their lives.

Yesterday, when the football transfer deadline closed, Premier League clubs had spent £1.4 billion on transfers. That’s right, £1.4 billion! In England alone! Has the world gone completely mad?

I love football. I love watching the best players in the world playing at the highest level but the owners of the game have completely lost the plot. They are creating an industry which is unsustainable in the long run but worse they have actually stolen the game from the people who love it.

I understand the power of football and the joy it brings to thousands of people. I know the potential impact that it can make. Look no further than the Homeless World Cup which has impacted the lives of thousands of people around the world. It exists on a shoestring but provides purpose and structure to the most marginalised in society.

People are beginning to understand that the golden castles in which much of professional football is now imprisoned are based on naked greed and have no real values other than the power and wealth.

Football is for everyone and not just the few. It is about community. And people all over the world are taking their football back. There are many new community initiatives which use football for good and are making a huge difference. It is giving people purpose and a feeling of togetherness. And guess what, it is also great fun. And that’s the way the world should be.