English Schools' Football Association

This has been a very busy time since my last ezine message. The early rounds of many of our competitions are now completed, the boys and girls international trials are approaching their concluding stages, PlayStation have had three school launches and we have been involved in numerous meetings with the FA and the Premier League as well as attending the National Game Conference at St George’s Park.

The latter annoyed me somewhat as two early speakers criticised the quality of physical education being taught in our primary schools and as ever it was stated from a point of ignorance. John Read and I managed to control our anger but were not slow in making our feelings known to the appropriate people. It’s good to get on the front foot sometimes and we soon found allies in amongst the gathering. We are currently in discussions with partner organisations to try and improve the provision of PE in the primary sector but there are a few organisations trying to persuade our head teachers to part with their primary PE and sport funding unwisely.

My colleagues involved in the boys and girls international selection process have been working very hard throughout the last month or so ensuring that all of our nominated trialists get a fair crack of the whip. Without their hard work and the support of many teacher coaches our young players would be deprived of the opportunity which international football presents. My thanks go to all staff involved.

I have been very well aware of the frustrations of those in membership involved in district football at all age levels. It is a very challenging environment out there at the present time and people across the country are responding in differing ways. The questionnaire which was sent to all association secretaries on 4 October has had its responses analysed and the report I compiled and presented to the Counties Meeting in Birmingham is elsewhere on this site. I would appreciate comments from all membership because this is a subject which we have to address. I honestly believe that if we do not find solutions then the provision of representative football in schools will soon die out.

On the subject of representative football it is encouraging to report that the winners of our boys and girls Futsal tournaments last season have been invited to represent England at the ISSF World Futsal Cup in Sardinia next Easter. Congratulations and best wishes go to Rainham School for Girls, Kent, and Eastbury School, Essex. We are sure you will represent us well.

Last month I was delighted to attend one of the PlayStation launches in Tipton. RSA Academy is a new build school with excellent facilities. PlayStation put on a very good show and the pupils responded to the football coaching in a very positive manner. The most impressive performance for me though was by the head teacher. Numerous pupils approached him during the course of the day to show him the work they had been doing, others just to talk about school in general. As well as showing a real interest in them he even knew all of their names! Well done, Mr Redmond.

It is nice to hear of so many primary county competitions reaching their final stages with winners going forward to regional finals in February or March. The National Finals are being staged this year at Bodymoor Heath, the training ground of Aston Villa where the facilities are first class - a real treat for all the teams who qualify. I am also looking forward to the National Deaf Schools Finals at Derby in February. Last year this was one of the friendliest events I attended, a really good festival of football.

I would like to welcome Andy Weston to the ESFA staff. Andy has joined us on secondment from the Staffordshire FA and will be working primarily on building County FA and County Schools’ FA links. He will be working with ten counties this year and if the project shows promise then the scheme will be expanded in 2014-15. We wish him well and hope for productive links with our county FA’s.

And finally, just so that you know how important the role of the teacher in schools football is, I quote a senior member of staff at the Premier League who in a meeting recently stated that, “The ESFA has the moral responsibility for football in England...” There you have it, recognition for all of the hard work you do but a weighty burden. Thanks to all of you for your efforts, you are appreciated. Greatly.

Dave Woollaston