CEO Monthly Report : November
Thursday 08 November 2012By ESFA Office
Last Updated:
10/02/2021 11:49:19
John Read, ESFA Chief Executive
Unfortunately the start of the season seems to have reignited the schools v club debate, and the inherent problems that come with it! It would seem that the statement in the new EPPP document sent to clubs has been misinterpreted.
Although it does states that all players in the Excellence Programme must be released for International football, it DOES NOT MEAN that international football is the ONLY type of football that they must be released for. Some clubs have used this, plus the requirement to monitor all academy players, as a reason to BAN their players from all schools' football.
They cannot do this as the EPPP clearly states that the management of players must be on an individual basis and player programmes are to be discussed with their school and then the parents.
I have had meetings with both the Youth Directors at the Premier League and the Football League who have been investigating the problems on our behalf. Teachers, District and County Schools' managers should contact me on john.read@schoolsfa.com if they experience problems with Premier League and Football League clubs. If problems exist outside of the EPPP regulations please contact me as well, but in the first instance you should direct the clubs to the FA Handbook and the Memorandum of School age players, which is copied below.
The officers of the Association met during the recent half term to put more meat onto the bones of the new Development Plan. Part of the Development Plan includes a new research project, commissioned on our behalf by the FA. The Chairman will touch on this in his monthly update.
With our next Council meeting coming up at the weekend and the combination of Council and County representatives in London, there will be more to report in the December E-Zine. I shall also be able to report on next week's meeting with the Minister for Education (Michael Gove) and the Chairman of NCSS where we will be discussing school sports competitions.
John Read, Chief Executive
