South London grassroots football doc gets special screening

Football documentary All in the Game, which follows South London football club Active Sports FC, is to be given a special screening at Theatre Peckham tonight (Monday 6 July).

Active Sports FC has achieved five promotions in six seasons, and the documentary, produced by North One and Lillebus Films, follows a season at the club.

Rather than focusing solely on results on the pitch, the film explores the lives of young men navigating injury, bereavement, mental health challenges and the pressures of growing up in modern Britain.

Founded in 2020 by Josh Khan, Active Sports FC has climbed from the lowest levels of grassroots football to the brink of the semi-professional game while creating pathways for young players into clubs including Fulham, Southampton, Bristol City, Hull City, Wigan Athletic and Real Murcia.

The screening at Theatre Peckham is being put on in partnership with Peckham MP, Miatta Fahnbulleh.

She said: “Supporting young people to feel safe and thrive is one of my core priorities. Through my Young Futures programme, I want every young person in Peckham to have access to a youth club within a 15-minute walk of home. At a recent Youth Summit, young people told me again and again that knife crime and street safety were among their biggest concerns. I’m delighted that many of those same young people will be joining this screening and helping build a campaign to ensure every young person has the opportunity to feel safe and thrive.”

Jeremie Frimpong of Liverpool FC and the Netherlands adds: “The documentary shows how the football club has redirected lives and turned pain into purpose, giving people the strength to face their mental battles together.”

Josh Khan, founder of Active Sports FC, said: “People see five promotions in six seasons and assume that’s the story. The real story is the young men behind it. Football gives them structure, belonging, discipline and ambition. The documentary captures that brilliantly.

“Everyone watches the World Cup and dreams about the next generation of stars, but those journeys begin on local pitches. Grassroots clubs are the foundation of the game. We help young people become better players, but more importantly better men.”

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion exploring football’s role in supporting young people and creating pathways into education, employment and elite sport.