Is James Brown really the hardest-working man in showbusiness? With football increasingly seen as entertainment as much as sport, Alan Curbishley will run him close for the title.

Charlton's manager managed a short break after securing the First Division title and with it an immediate return to the Premiership. But he's already pulled his tracksuit back on to take charge of the British squad for the Snickers StreetZONE tournament in Amsterdam.

StreetZONE will bring teams of 14-year-olds together from countries as far apart as Russia, Poland and Hungary as well as many of the countries competing in Euro 2000. The tournament is set to entertain locals and visiting fans in the centre of the Dutch capital from 29 June-2 July.

This weekend, Curbishley selected his squad of eight from 20 young players from across England and Scotland. Congratulations, then to the lucky eight: goalkeeper Liam Connell (Newcastle), defenders Robert Aldridge (Leicester) and Byron Webster (York), and five forwards - Dean Curtis (Birmingham), Scott McCue and James Morrison (both Glasgow), Nick Smith and Lee Martin (both Bromley).

As well as training with Curbishley and Gary Nelson, they also got a guided tour of Stamford Bridge (quite a rarity - to see so many English players there!) and a night in a London hotel.

So far, so glamourous. But the emphasis of the weekend was all about a footballing Back-to-Basics - and the underlying need to get kids out on the streets and in the parks playing football from dawn 'til dusk.

'That's how it used to be for my generation,' recalls Curbishley. 'That's how we were brought up. No outside influences like video games, 100's of TV channels and everything else. We just had the basics and got on with it.

'We were forever playing football in the streets and the parks and using jumpers for goalposts or whatever we could use. I think it's to football's detriment that we aren't doing that anymore.

'I'm not saying there's no talent coming through but there would be more if the youngsters of today weren't sidetracked by other things.'

So as we spend the month watching Europe's finest footballers parading their skills, let's hear it for the youngsters who play football for the love it, rather than for the immense pay-check and the celebrity girlfriend.

Nick Smith is part of the Crystal Palace School of Excellence, a Chelsea fan and now a member of the Charlton manager's squad. You might expect him to be confused, but he has his head screwed on. The whole Snickers StreetZONE experience is a learning opportunity but also 'a good chance to get noticed.

'Apart from the free food, I'm looking forward to meeting and playing with foreign people. That'll be quite an experience.'

Meanwhile, Lee Martin, once on West Ham's books and now with Wimbledon, highlights another aspect of youth football in this country which is becoming a growing concern.

'Take a look at Chelsea. They've got more foreign players than I've had hot dinners. Even their 18-year-olds are imports.'

He's right. That's the brutal reality of the modern game. Even Curbishley was keen not to raise the boys' hopes.

'There's a couple of players here who've shown good qualities. It's very difficult to say who's going to go on to be successful.'

With the game increasingly driven by money, the likes of Charlton can't try to buy success in the same way as Chelsea. That makes their youth set-up all the more important and it's something Charlton can be proud of. Curbishley agrees that young players of the ability of Paul Konchesky and Scott Parker have found their careers stifled at The Valley in the last year or two. The Addicks have gone out and spent serious money in an effort to stay in - and then return to - the Premiership.

Those youngsters are ready for the Premiership. But now even Charlton look abroad for new blood. Curbishley himself will be watching ten games in ten days before teaming up with the StreetZONE squad in Amsterdam - with his chairman's blessing.

'We've got money to spend,' he admits. 'I'm going out to do a couple of things - to take notes on some of the players, but also to see how the teams are playing - formations and shapes. It's a busman's holiday really.

'There's one or two people that I have got my eye on, but there's some teams I can't even entertain, price-wise. So I'm just going to have a broad look at everybody.'

But the players he will concentrate most of his attention will be that small group of 14-year-olds at the Snickers StreetZONE tournament in Amsterdam.

May they carry the flag not only for their country but for the beautiful game as well.