LOCAL football clubs believe that MP Andy Burnham could be doing more to help grassroots football.

Last week, the Journal featured Andy Burnham, who headed a delegation to Brussels in an attempt to win a bigger share of TV money for Nationwide League clubs and the game at the amateur level.

He met with the European Commision, who have threatened to declare it illegal for the Premier League to negotiate a TV deal for all its 20 clubs -- which he believes could spell financial ruin for clubs like Leigh RMI, who rely on TV revenue to survive.

But Leigh Athletic secretary Richard Wilson is adament that Mr Burnham's crusade is misguided -- and believes the fight should be waged locally if he wants to help grassroots football.

Richard Wilson told the Journal:"If Mr Burnham wishes to save grassroots football he should look no further than the local amateur clubs who with no income whatsoever continue to survive and maintain their own independent facilities with little or no financial support.

"What grassroots football does need is for Mr Burnham to exert some pressure on the local authority to retain and maintain existing pitches, rather than trying to pass their responsibility onto local clubs.

"It is the amateur clubs who need help now so that the 99 per cent of junior players can continue to enjoy playing football into manhood.

Grassroots

"Why not provide free training facilities for local adult clubs or carry out free pitch cutting? This would help local clubs to survive in grassroots football."

Mr Burnham said: "The local clubs do have a point, but the best way to ensure the survival of grassroots football is for the Premier League to be able to negotiate a collective deal. Some of the TV revenue goes into the Football Foundation fund which helps to fund grassroots football and clubs can bid for some of the £60 million in that fund.

"We've got three bids from local clubs for Football Foundation money, including Leyland Park and Hesketh Meadow, plus one or two bids from the Wigan area. If Premier League clubs were allowed to negotiate individual deals then there would be no money put into the Football Foundation, and that could spell the end for a lot of amateur clubs."

Mr Burnham said the meeting with the European Commisioner "went well" and he would be holding talks with the Premier League in the next couple of weeks as the process enters into a crucial stage.

Andy Burnham starred in the UK Parliamentary football squad's 2-1 win against Eire Dail and Senead last Sunday.

The Leigh MP played right midfield in the Old Trafford tussle.