Chairman's August Message
Wednesday 08 August 2012By ESFA Office
Last Updated:
10/02/2021 11:49:18
Neil Pont, ESFA Chairman
The quiet season is upon us in Schools’ Football and I hope you are enjoying this tremendous summer of sport. Bradley Wiggins gave us a great start in the Tour de France and, as I write this, the first GB medals are being won at the London Olympics. I’m sure many of you will be visiting Olympic events around the country and will also be glued to the TV for the big sporting occasions.
Many of the teachers reading this will have a personal interest because ex-pupils will be participating. My eyes will be on Women’s Basketball where Chantelle Handy stars for Team GB. Chantelle attended Corbridge Middle School in Northumberland where I was Headteacher - and was also one of her PE teachers. Chantelle was a great all-rounder and would have relished the change in rules that would have allowed her to play alongside the boys in the school’s Under 13 football team - she was certainly good enough. Chantelle went on to Prudhoe High School where her netball skills easily transferred to the basketball court. At the age of 16 she and her parents made the brave decision to go to the USA to continue her studies. Now she is professional basketball player, currently based in Greece, and a proud member of Team GB at her home Olympics - surely a dream come true.
So Chantelle’s story does remind us of the change to FA Rules that now means that mixed gender football is allowed up to (and including) the U.14 age group. This rule is in place for season 2012-13.
This may be ‘down time’ for teachers but our ESFA office staff are beavering away to make sure that all is ready for next season. The preparation for next year’s handbook is well underway and I encourage you to have this invaluable guide readily available for consultation so that rules and regulations can be checked. There are also guidelines on a variety of matters in the handbook and there is a wealth of contact information. And, of course, the ESFA website - soon to have a new, refreshed look - should be your first port of call for all matters related to schools’ football. Please encourage young players to log on and also get them to make regular visits to your own local County SFA website.
If your County SFA does not have a website, please remember that ESFA can provide support, both financial and technical, in setting up a new County SFA site. An up-to-date and well-run website is a great way to keep all those involved in schools’ football engaged with the local set-up.
