English Schools' Football Association

Neil Pont, ESFA Chairman

This coming Saturday, 10^th November, County SFA Secretaries will be meeting with the ESFA Council. I am very pleased that we will start working on a brand new research project, funded by The FA, that will see ESFA and The FA working together to gather opinions about school football from right around the country.

Through a combination of surveys and face-to-face discussion groups we will canvass opinion from County and District administrators, teachers and young people. All will be able to have their say. We will be asking about how well our competitions are organised; whether the format of the competitions suits everyone’s needs; if there is enough football available that is not competition based. We want to know how good our channels of communication are and whether the support you receive from ESFA is the best that it can be. The research will also involve discussions with County FAs to see how the relationship between school associations and the local FA can be developed.

This is an exciting opportunity for all members of ESFA to let their views be known. ESFA is led by a willing team of volunteer Council members backed up an experienced and dedicated staff - all of whom want this great organisation to flourish and grow. We are currently working on a new Development Plan, which will also be explained at the forthcoming meeting with County Secretaries.

This Development Plan will ensure that we have a shared vision for where we want to be. It will cover all aspects of the association’s activities - playing, organising, supporting, coaching and teaching football in schools. We will be helped in monitoring our progress by the work of our newly appointed Honorary Auditors - Peter Jordan, David Lailey and Dave Prothero. These three gentlemen have well over 100 years of experience in school football between them and will act as critical friends to Council to make sure we are on track.

As we move forward it is important that our ‘mission statement’ - that statement of purpose that guides our actions - must be fit for purpose in the 21^st Century. So that is something else we are working on; but more of that in future messages.

I hope that the weather is kind where you are so that matches can be played on time and fixture congestion can be avoided. Our national competitions are moving forward at a pace but need everyone to take responsibility for meeting deadlines.

Please continue to enjoy your involvement with school football. I recently was pleased to witness one of our primary festivals in Gosforth, Newcastle where enjoyment (despite the rain!) was certainly the order of the day. I am looking forward to a spate of inter-County matches coming up soon here in Northumberland - at the other end of the spectrum from primary festivals but still hugely enjoyable.

Neil Pont, ESFA Chairman