English Schools' Football Association

ESFA Newsletter - Friday 16th December 2005

Message from the Chairman Mr. Kevin Wilbur

As I write this last Newsletter for 2005, I am sharing the dining table with my wife who is writing our Christmas cards. The last week of term is upon us - how quickly the time has flown by. I am already nearly half way through my Chairman's year!

I know that many of you are involved in the organisation of the various ESFA competitions. I am also aware that some areas of the country have been hard hit by the weather. Personally I would quite like to see some seasonal snow: here in semi-tropical Lincolnshire we have only witnessed the white stuff second hand on our television screens! Please encourage your schools to play their games on time if at all possible - it will help our Competitions Department a lot.

One competition which should now be completed by each Association is the Jetix Under 12 Indoor 5-a-side. This should also not be subject to the vagaries of the weather. From now on, ESFA Council will be busy organising Area finals to which you are all cordially invited. Details of these finals are advertised on the website. The National Final will once again be held at the JJB Soccer Dome in Derby, and the winning boys' and girls' schools will represent England in Germany during the World Cup. What a prize!

I hope you have noted June 24th 2006 in your diary. It is the date of the AGM, this season to be held at the Forest Pines Hotel, near Brigg in North Lincolnshire. There will be more information in future newsletters.

So now I will close. There are jobs to be done around the house and I have to clear a suitable space for the Christmas tree which is to be purchased at the weekend. I do hope you all enjoy the Christmas period, that you meet your family and friends over a glass or two, and that you have a peaceful New Year. Do make the most of it - it won't last!

Kevin Wilbur
Chairman

Chief Executive's Update

The Future

Thank you to the Association members from the North East, North West, East Midlands, Manchester and the South West for attending the recent regional meetings. Further meetings are scheduled for the 24^th January at West Bromwich Albion F.C and 1^st March at Woolton Hill Primary School, Newbury. Both meetings are scheduled to start at 6.30pm. All association members, be it County or Local District are welcome to attend. It was pleasing to see that there have been a number of Partnership Development Managers, Football Development Officers from County FAs and a Competition Manager attending these meetings. If you are planning to attend one of these meetings, please feel free to invite your County FA and any local Sports College PDMs. All are welcome, however, only ESFA members will be able to claim their travel expenses. (I'm sure that we will allow our non members to partake in a sandwich or two after the meetings!!). Martin Duffield for the West Midlands and David Lailey for the SW should be contacted for venue details.

A number of threads are already emerging from these meetings but I will not discuss them until I have a truly national picture and my report has been accepted by Council. This will be done at the March Council Meeting so that there is time to prepare any changes necessary for the 2006 AGM. This is a timely reminder that all items under General Rule 8(b) ..."should be given to the Chief Executive on or before May 1^st."...

Whilst on the subject of reminders please also note that any nominations for national long service awards (10, 25, 40 and 50 years service) should have been cleared through your Council Member by 31^st December and be received by me no later than 31^st January 2006.

Competitions

Mike is now back with us after undergoing surgery to help him hear me better! I did wonder why he never did anything that I asked him to do - little did I know, he never heard me!! I would like to thank Darren and Lorna in particular for their efforts in keeping the competitions running during Mike's absence. Dawn and Sue also played their part in supporting the Competitions Department. I am hopeful, subject to a successful FA Budget meeting, that we may have a new Competitions member of staff in the New Year.

A number of new initiatives have been suggested over the past couple of years but we have not been able to implement them due to the extra workload on the staff, especially during the final rounds of the competitions when everything is at National level. I will report on this position early in the New Year.

Over the past few months I have been doing a National round up of local news which is posted on newspaper web sites. This is a wonderful source of advertising our sponsors so please ensure that if there is a reporter (or you are doing the reporting) that you include the title sponsors name at least once in any report. If you do that it will help us nationally to approach and retain our sponsorship portfolio. However, if you do put a sponsors name in the press you must ensure that you have the correct one. I'm sure that NUTELLA enjoyed some recent publicity, but as JETIX are the sponsors they were not amused!

Goalposts

Schools in your area are able to get a grant from the Football Foundation for the replacement of illegal or unsafe goalposts. The FA County Football Associations are coordinating this procedure and should be contacted in the first instance. There is no cap on the number of goals that can be replaced. If you need to ‘change them'.

Discipline Procedures

In line with the FA's recent modification of certain disciplinary forms, the Referees and Discipline Committee has modified an ESFA form and reproduced it in 2 versions. One is for competitions organized by ESFA in Stafford and one for use by local Schools' District FAs. It is a mandatory procedure to charge the £8 administration fee for all carded offences.

All Association secretaries are reminded that it is their (or the schools) responsibility to pay the Discipline Administrative Fee. A number of team managers/secretaries have complained that the two weeks allowed for return of the forms and fee is not enough to allow them to get the parents to pay the fee. They should not be paying in the first place. It is a SCHOOL / DISTRICT / COUNTY responsibility!

As mentioned in my last Newsletter, JETIX Kids TV are sponsoring the under 12 5 a-side tournament for 2005-2006. The two winning schools (boys and girls competitions) will be whisked away to Munich during the FIFA World Cup to represent England in the JETIX World Cup.

Attached to this Newsletter is information about a telephone fund raising scheme. I am led to believe that if you sign up to the Eazygift system your calls will not necessarily be less than those charged by BT, but ESFA will benefit by 5% of your monthly bill. All Eazygift customers are able to call each other free, which might be a useful point when you consider the number of calls you must make within and outside your Districts / Counties. Anyone can sign up to Eazygift and all they need to do is tell Eazygift that they are supporting the ESFA Charity. Try getting your players' parents to sign so that your managers can get free calls.

Finally, we have extended our agreement with Inspire Sport, the providers of extremely good football holidays located at a number of English and foreign clubs. Inspire Sport will be hosting the pre-season training of the international squad at CF Valencia, in Spain during the period 11th-15th February 2006

Please do not forget our other sponsors:

• Under 11 - Sainsbury's
• Under 13 - Coca Cola
• Under 15 Trophy-NUT
• Under 16 - Individual boys and girls schools cups - RAF
• Under 16/18 Inter County - FA Premier League
• Under 16 Girls County - NUT
• Award Scheme - California Raisins
• Photography - RWT Photography
• International Kit Sponsor - PUMA
• Uniforms - Fallen Idols
• Festivals - The PFA
• School Football Strips -The Soccer Co
• Trophies and Festivals - Linakers

Hopefully you will have noticed that we have our old friend, Des Comerford, back in the sponsorship portfolio. Having been let down by our previous international uniform supplier, Des has stepped in once again to help us. He is now trading under an exciting new brand name that produces not only a highly attractive men's and ladies wear but also fragrances, water and a number of other products. Richard Branson from Scunthorpe! Have a look at his new web site www.fallenhero.co.uk which advertises this new brand "fallen hero"

Insurance

We have changed our insurers, but the details of our policies are the same as before. If you have any queries on insurance please contact Malcolm Alexander at Linaker, Sport & Leisure Division on 0117962 5888. In particular they are producing some very competitive rates for Public Liability cover. However, all affiliated associations come under our national policy for third party liability so long as they are acting as part of the ESFA. This includes the hosting of your annual or regular meetings held where public liability is passed onto you. If you require a copy of the Liability Certificate (now being asked for by local Councils / Schools etc) please contact Dawn in the office.

The Annual General Meeting

Further to the Chairman's words on the 2006 AGM:

The following points have either been brought up at the 2005 AGM or at our last Council Meeting and are worthy of a third mention.

A recommendation by Council for the shortening of the AGM Minutes was investigated. When you receive your copy of the Draft Minutes for the 2005 AGM you will note that there are two versions. Please read them both and if you have any comments let me know at your earliest convenience.

Thank you to the many members who replied to the request above for AGM ideas and for comments on the shortened minutes. We have already discussed many of the ideas at our last Council Meeting in November, but the subject is open for more debate at the January meeting.

This is a reminder to District and County Associations (and schools where appropriate) that if they enter into an agreement to play against Premier League Academy or Football League Centre of Excellence age group teams, both teams require sanction to play non-affiliated football. The ESFA affiliated team needs clearance from here in the office and the Academy/ Excellence team from their respective League HQs. Only Year 6 (under 11) and above are allowed to play 11 a-side football. If you wish to continue with playing under age children you may well find insurance invalid or in the worst case the subject of a court hearing if a parent wishes to take out a litigation case.

Adults Other Than Teachers

There have been a number of requests for clarification of the rules concerning AOTTs. The following extract is from the 2005-2006 ESFA Handbook

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3. CONTROL

(c) All teams must be under the ultimate control of either

(i) a practicing teacher, recognised as such by the Department of Education or

(ii) a retired teacher, or present or past employee of the education service who has received direct approval in writing from the appropriate local or county Schools' Football Association to undertake such responsibilities,

(iii) A person who has direct approval in writing from the appropriate local or county Schools' Football Association who: -(a) is a member of the (FACA) Football Association's Coaches Association (giving a coaching and first aid qualification and child protection best practices)

(b) has undergone a (CRB) Criminal Records Bureau check - any payment associated with this shall be the responsibility of the local / county Schools' Football Association.

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This information must be registered with the E.S.F.A. on the appropriate form (available from the ESFA HQ in Stafford) and the CRB certificate must be attached to the form. This registration is to be done on an annual basis. Approval may be withdrawn by the E.S.F.A., the local or county schools' football association at any time.

Any other person assisting with or coaching a team must operate in the presence of a person who is qualified under (i), or (ii) above

Note:

3( c) (ii) - we are advised by the FA that those qualifying under this criteria (i.e retired / past) should now undergo a CRB check

If you have someone who is not a teacher and you wish them to look after a district or County team you should contact me in Stafford an I will send the forms directly to you by post or email. On completion the forms should be sent back to me for registration. Martin Duffield, our National Child Protection Officer will then keep the full data base. 1 am sorry but this needs to be done annually.

Martin and I have a meeting with the FA's Child Protection expert early in the New Year to discuss the progress of this scheme and to suggest where we might improve it or simplify it. More information will be available in the New Year

For further advice contact Martin on 01384242526.

NOTICEBOARD

1. Long Service Awards. A reminder that nomination forms must be returned to the office by 31st January 2006, having been fully completed by the local Council Member.
2. Funding Opportunities for schools and associations (kit etc.). This is available via The Football Foundation at www.footballfoundation.org.uk
3. Funding Opportunities for large projects e.g. improving changing rooms, drainage work etc. is available via your Local Football Partnership group at your County F.A.
4. England under 18 v Australia Schools at Stafford Rangers FC on Saturday 28th January 2006 with a 2.00pm kick off. Call Sue in the office for more details.
5. England under 18 v Scotland under 18 at Home Park, Plymouth Argyle FC on 24th March 2006. Details in the Handbook
6. England under 18 v Republic of Ireland under 18 at Broadfields Stadium, Crawley Town FC on 31st March 2006. Details in the Handbook
7. England under 18 v Northern Ireland at Glenavon FC is now 27th February 2006 with a 7pm kick off