At first glance, you may think football and reading are worlds apart. Surely encouraging children and young people to enjoy reading lies in classrooms and libraries, in authors and illustrator visits, or book donations, not in getting young people out on the pitch?
Yet this perspective – this divide – is part of the problem.
Children and young people in the UK do not see themselves as readers – only a third enjoy reading in their free time, the lowest levels we’ve seen in two decades. They might think of reading as quiet, academic, solitary – an identity that doesn’t reflect their reality.
But they might see themselves in football – as fans, as players, as a huge part of their social life and community.
This perceived divide shapes how society, not just children, think about literacy and reading. It supports the idea that “Reading is not for me”.
In the National Year of Reading, we are challenging this idea of what being a reader means. Because if we can reach children through their love of football, we can show them that they might just have been readers all along.
Football as a gateway to reading
At the National Literacy Trust, we know that motivation is a critical driver of reading engagement. Children are more likely to read when the content connects to their interests, identities, and everyday lives. For many children, football provides exactly that connection.
Football-related content can often be a child’s first experience of reading by choice. Match reports, fixture lists, player interviews, transfer rumours, statistics, magazines, biographies of their favourite players, or even fiction written by famous footballing stars – these texts are read because they matter to the reader, and that makes them valid and important examples of reading.
For children who have disengaged from traditional reading materials, football acts as a powerful gateway. It opens the door to reading in a way that feels relevant and accessible.
Busting the myth: “They don’t like reading”
One of the most persistent myths in literacy is that some children simply “don’t like reading”. Our work consistently shows that this is rarely the full story. More often than not, children dislike the reading they are offered, not the reading itself.
When children eagerly analyse a match report, memorise statistics, debate a pundit’s opinion, or follow a player’s journey through interviews and biographies, they are demonstrating key reading behaviours: comprehension, inference, vocabulary development, and critical thinking. These are not lesser forms of reading – they are real, meaningful literary experiences.
By recognising football-related content as valid reading, we move away from a narrow definition of what reading “should” look like, and towards a more inclusive understanding of how children can actually engage and enjoy reading in the real world.
Blowing the whistle on outdated definitions of reading
Football challenges us to rethink some long-held assumptions about reading. It reminds us that:
- Reading is not confined to books
- Identity and belonging matter
- Reading can be social, shared, and talked about
The National Literacy Trust has been challenging these assumptions for 25 years – working with the Premier League since 2001 to support millions of children by delivering programmes that create motivated readers through football in classrooms, clubs, and communities across the country.
In 2024-25, our literacy-based initiatives within the Premier League Primary Stars programme saw a huge rise in confidence in reading, writing, and speaking up in class from pupils taking part – rising from 11% to 82% over the course of the programme. This is just one of the many programmes our Sports and Literacy team have developed to empower children and young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, with the power and joy of reading.
If we want more children to see themselves as readers, we need to meet them where they are. Football shows us what is possible when reading feels relevant, valued, and connected to young people’s lives.
So what has football ever done for reading?
Quite a lot, actually.
Game Changers: Bradley's story
For Bradley, who took part in our Game Changers programme, pairing football with literacy boosted his confidence with reading, writing, and speaking up at school. Watch our short video and hear more about our programme as Bradley shares its impact on his life and education in his own words.
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