A message from the Chairman: John Appleby

Monday 15 August 2011By ESFA Office

Last Updated:
10/02/2021 10:49:13

English Schools' FA Chairman - John Appleby

John Appleby

It is with a great sense of pride, tinged with no little apprehension, that I take up the position of Chairman of the English Schools’ Football Association, in my eyes the greatest honour that can be bestowed on a teacher involved in Schools’ Football.

I hope to meet many of our membership during the coming season be it at meetings, functions, tournaments, festivals or games, all of which form part of our portfolio at ESFA. Following Mike Coyne will not be easy but I am excited at the development and progress, that we as a governing body are making. Mike established a three year rolling programme of development which will be revisited at our first Council Meeting in September. The 17 points put forward by the review group under the leadership of Barry Shackley will all have to be given due consideration and a measured response given to the points will be required.

Each point will be given due consideration and membership will be kept informed of the developments as they happen through the Chairman’s notes which will be available to membership after Council Meetings. I am fortunate enough to be able to rely upon the support and guidance of my Council colleagues and allied to the excellent staff I can rely upon at Headquarters, I should not stray into muddy waters.

Ever since I joined council our CEO John Read has been a font of knowledge and a great supporter and I will be relying upon John’s advice and experience to keep me on the straight and narrow. Diplomacy is not one of my strongest suits.

I hope that during the coming months to further enhance the good name of Schools’ Football. It is my firm belief that the football experiences, you the membership provide for boys and girls of all ages in their school football, are some of the most positive and well disciplined that they will ever encounter in the game. In light of what we have seen on the streets in our major cities recently, it is even more important than ever that we engage with our young people and give them positive and rewarding experiences.

As an ex Head of PE and District and County Schools’ FA team manager of 32 years, I know what it takes to run Schools’ Football effectively and the sacrifices that have to be made for our cause. Please keep doing it and recruit some young people to support you so that they can take up the baton in the future. The intrinsic value and self satisfaction are incalculable.

Increased sponsorship and participation, new competitions and an International programme of matches for boys and girls are things that we as an Association can be justifiably be proud of and it is my wish for the coming year that we see an upsurge in the recruitment of new young teachers to follow in the footsteps of our committed membership.

Please contact me or my Council colleagues if you need our support during the coming season and may I wish you all a successful season.

John Appleby


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