ESFA Newsletter - Friday 12th October 2007
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN Mr Gerry Smith
Chairman Gerry Smith
Welcome to the first newsletter of the 2007-2008 football season which is already well under way for many teams competing in the various ESFA national competitions. For me personally, my season and year of office started at the end of June when I had the pleasure of presenting 40 and 50 year awards to ESFA teachers and colleagues at White Hart Lane, the home of Tottenham Hotspur.
Many colleagues and teachers working for schools’ football in individual schools, districts and counties have already been involved in the early rounds of national school and district trophy competitions in late September and early October with coaches and players hoping for a successful season. I hope the season has started well for you. Do try to get your games organised before the deadline dates and when games are completed inform the competitions department of your result. It seems sad that teams are being eliminated by the toss of a coin because they are not played on time.
Last season’s successful U18 England School Team will also be hoping for a repeat of their Centenary Shield win last season. Manager, Tony Martin and his assistant, Phil Nardiello had their first opportunity to view this seasons talent with a coaching week at Keele University in August. Further regional trials continue later this month and early November with final selection trials in December and January. Good luck to all U18 players dreaming of an England Schools’ Cap and to Tony and Phil who I am sure will have another successful season.
The wonderful news for the ESFA and schools football is the return of our U18 team to Wembley at the end of April 2008. Already preparations are being made to provide a festival of football during the day with the International match taking place late afternoon. Further details will be provided by Chief Executive John Read when the organising committee have had the opportunity to meet and agree details. Hopefully the occasion will attract many thousands of school boys and girls to new Wembley.
In the next few weeks I am looking forward to watching the competitive but good spirited schools’ football of which the ESFA are justifiably proud. This week I am watching my own school Kingsdown U14 team play in the second round of the National Schools’ Cup for Boys and on Thursday 11th October will be meeting the players representing England at U16 against Northern Ireland at Blackpool. These matches will be very different in standards but both should be enjoyable and important to both sets of players and schools football.
I hope to meet many more schools’ football colleagues during the course of this year’s competitions. Many thanks again for giving up your time and your dedication in providing football for the young players in your teams. Have a successful and enjoyable season.
Gerry Smith.
Chairman
Lorna & Malcolm Berry
Lorna and Malcolm Berry have informed us that they are returning to live in their native North-east at the end of November. Malcolm was my predecessor as Chief Executive from 1991 to 2000. He also served on Council from 1979 and was our Chairman for the 1989-1990 season.
Malcolm tells me that he and Lorna have spent sixteen very happy years in Stafford but have decided that it is now time to move back to be nearer all their family. I am sure you will join me in wishing them both all the best for the future and a trouble free move.
Malcolm insists that this move will not stop him attending the Annual General Meeting and that he will continue to take me to task on an annual basis!!!!
Mr & Mrs M Berry
4 Hazelwood Court
Langley Park
Durham
DH7 9FY
Chief Executive’s Update
Council
These are not good times for your Council as their ever increasing primary duties in school take their toll on the available spare time and they have to do more and more ESFA work because retiring colleagues are not being replaced. It is so bad that Council is considering a re-organization. In particular Areas F and H are in desperate need of Council replacements. Area H has run one light since Alan Ball’s retirement 2 seasons ago. If you are reading this in Area H, please come forward with help for Phil. The more people involved at National level means less work for each individual.
Area F is in a slightly better position because David Lailey has agreed to assist Stuart Inger as a Field Officer. However, Stuart is now Vice Chairman and will be chairman next year so he will have less time to concentrate on local matters. Again, if you are reading this in Area F, please come forward with help for Stuart. The more people involved at National level means less work for each individual.
Competitions
Mike and his team continue to defy the odds and are now controlling 22 national competitions. I hope you will agree that they have done an excellent job in preparing the new Competitions’ Handbook. All this with one less staff member, as Lisa Clark has decided to move on (this was always her intention when she came to work for us a year ago). She was a great addition to the team and will be missed.
The website continues to improve and shows all the draws for this season. We are continually improving the site so if you haven’t had a look recently, please do so: www.esfa.co.uk A new look front page is being designed at the moment and we will soon have the ability to take affiliations on line. Darren tells me that we have nearly reached the 1 million ‘hits’ mark on the web site.
Coaching and International Selection
The under 18 International Selection Committee are advertising for a new assistant team manager and a goalkeeper coach to join the set up for the season 2008-2009. Tony Martin the current Manager steps down at the end of this season and Phil Nardiello will make the step up to succeed him. Alan Thomson the current Goalkeeper coach has to leave us as he has taken up a teaching post at Liverpool University and will no longer be qualified to work with ESFA.
You will find Job Advertisements for both positions attached to this Newsletter. Please ensure that all your members are aware of this and have the opportunity to apply for these prestigious posts.
Primary
As mentioned by the Chairman we have been offered a Wembley date for a schools’ international and would hope to be able to include the finals of our Primary Schools Competitions. Full details will be known after contracts are signed and agreed by Council in November.
Competition at Primary School level is very much a hot topic within the FA and the Youth Sports Trust. I shall be attending governmental meetings later in the year to discuss funding and organization within the Schools’ National Competition Framework. It is imperative that our District Associations are active at this level or we stand the chance of losing our responsibility to other agencies such as the County FAs and the School Sports Partnerships themselves.
Mike Coyne, Council Member for Area E and a Head Teacher of a Primary school in Somerset has made great advances in his County in liaising with and working with the School Sports Partnerships. Mike is more than willing to share the good practices of Somerset so if any District? County Secretaries would like to, please give Mike a call. His contacts are in the ESFA Handbook.
Promotion & Development
Due to a decrease in sponsorship levels with California Raisins we will have to produce 4 page KICKS magazines for the next 2 editions, but it is hoped that finance will be available to get back to the 8 page editions by the summer. Martin Duffield, who edits Kicks on our behalf, is always requiring copy for the magazine, so please feel free to send in articles about your associations to the office.
The New Wembley
Subject to contracts we will be playing a schools’ international at the new Wembley on 26th April 2008. Full details will be circulated after the series of meetings with sponsors and the Wembley National Stadium Ltd (WNSL). This is an exciting venture but as the Chairman of 1950, Mr J Davidson told his Council of the day.
Mr J Davidson
...this is an incredible opportunity for the English Schools’ Football Association to raise its profile and be truly recognized by pupils throughout the country; however, if we get it wrong we could be accused of killing off schools football...
Words spoken in 1950 before the ESFA first ever visit to Wembley to play Scotland (for you older members you will remember a young Johnny Haynes playing, later to captain the full England team and Fulham F.C.), however, still true today. Your help in this venture will be crucial to the success and the continuation of schools’ football for many years to come. You will play your part by ensuring that all your schools’ and clubs get the opportunity to purchase tickets. This maybe the only opportunity some children /families get to watch a match at the new Wembley that they can afford. Don’t forget to remind the adult generation that they probably visited the old Wembley with their schools, now they can share that delight with their offspring.
Mixed Football (repeat)
The Football Association, under pressure from the Government, has agreed to investigate the age restrictions to mixed football currently in force in this country. Any junior league which has players up to the age of 14 and above the age of 11 and within the current age group banding (no more than 2 years) may apply to their County FA for permission to play up to 4 girls in any one team for the season 2007-2008 only. If there are a number of leagues in each county applying for this dispensation, the County FA may restrict the number of Leagues given this dispensation. Boys are still restricted to boys’ leagues and may not play in girls’ football.
The Football Association will:
- Monitor the number of girls who actually register and play for boys’ teams.
- Monitor the number of girls’ teams withdrawing from girls only leagues.
- Compare the situation with other European countries
- Debate the results with the Women's Committee, Development Committee and the League sanctions Committee before putting recommendations before Council in June 2008.
All of the above does NOT apply to SCHOOLS' FOOTBALL where current regulations remain extant.
Goalposts
I have recently received the following email from the Football Association:
Email from The F.A.
The attached link to The FA's web site, states that metal cup hooks on any part of the goal are not permitted and as such matches will be postponed by match officials where these hooks are evident.
I should be grateful if you would advise all relevant personnel, including local leagues, referees societies, etc, of this news to ensure a clear and consistent message is relayed across the country.
Insurance
All Associations, whether it be District or County are covered for loss of kit and equipment under our General Insurance Policy.
Players and staff from Associations, when playing or working under the ESFA banner are also covered in our Personal Accident Insurance. This gives cover for death, permanent disability, broken bones, hospital visits etc.
We are in negotiation for this cover to be extended to ALL our school teams, but at present schools are NOT covered by our insurance and should make sure that they have their own insurance.
We are also taking out an International Match Cancellation Insurance as our fingers have been burned once too often with the late cancellation of matches.
The Annual General Meeting
The office staff has been working very hard to ensure that the 2008 AGM is not beset by the same problems as the 2007 AGM. We have booked a lecture hall in one of our neighbour’s buildings for the AGM. Accommodation will be provided just 2 miles away at the Premier Travel Lodge next to the M6 Junction 14. More details will follow as they become firmed up.
Excellence Programme
A number of FA managed girls’ Centres of Excellence are being established in the near future. Those of you who run girls’ teams are requested to monitor the situation to ensure that girls are still being allowed to represent their schools. Already a number of associations have reported their concerns that the girls are likely to have to train twice a week and play matches on a Saturday. I shall be attending the next FA Women’s Committee meeting to discuss this problem.
Adults other than Teachers (AOTTs)
I cannot believe that there are only 31 adults other than teachers running District and/or County teams. We have only had 31 adults registered with us, which is very disappointing. If you use AOTTs please register them with us in Stafford and if you are using non registered adults other than teachers and they are not properly qualified or have not undergone a specific football CRB check you are risking a great deal if something goes wrong. It is most likely that any insurance, local or national, will be invalidated if your AOTTs are not registered.
Registration forms can be obtained from the office.
Child Protection / Child Welfare
There are a number of changes about to hit the streets including new government legislation. Martin Duffield, our National Child Protection Officer, and I have regular meetings with the specialist FA and Social staff and are preparing an advisory document that will be available after the next Council Meeting.
New Partners
Since the last Newsletter we have entered into 2 new agreements with:
This company have set up a clearing house for academic and sporting scholarships to the United States of America. For further details please see www.pass4.co.uk.
Attached to this letter are details of the arrangement we have made with Recycle4Kit. For further details please see www.recycle4kit.com.
Additionally the Professional Footballers association has increased their sponsorship interests with us and will continue to support the purchase of trophies and the activities of our Easter Festivals.
Please support these new ventures by publicizing their activities where you can
Finally
- If you are in Area F or H and even have the slightest thought about becoming a Council Member – give me a call.
- Check the credentials of all the AOTTs involved in your Associations – they must all be registered, CRB checked and qualified to Level 2 if actually coaching a team unsupervised.
- Keep a watching brief on the introduction of girls’ Centres of Excellence
- Make this an enjoyable season
- look after player discipline.
- ensure parental behaviour is acceptable.
- Best wishes for a successful 2007-2008 and see you at Wembley on 26th April.
