Sport in the United Kingdom sports combined have less than one-third the participation of football. Additionally, a British sport journalist pointed out that football academies are "really bad at letting players out of the system who aren't going to make it", frequently keeping players until age 17 or 18, beyond an age at which they can reasonably be developed for top-level basketball. Another issue is politically related. Basketball is not played in the elite fee-paying secondary schools that produce a disproportionate share of the UK's political leaders. Also, several British basketball insiders have cited problems with the sport's governance within the UK, with Kevin Routledge,
Hugh Roberts Hugh Roberts Sir Hugh Ashley Roberts (born 20 April 1948), is a British art historian and curator. He was the Director of the Royal Collection, the art collection of the British Royal Family, and Surveyor of the Queen's Works of Art, whose office is responsible for the care and maintenance of the royal collection of works of art owned by the Sovereign of the United Kingdom in an official capacity. Roberts was closely involved in the restoration of Windsor Castle, a medieval castle and royal residence located in Windsor, Berkshire, England, notable for its long association with the British Royal