ESFA Newsletter - Friday 18th January 2008
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN
Chairman Gerry Smith
Can I wish all colleagues a happy new year and I hope you had a restful and enjoyable Christmas. The ESFA competitions based upon county entries begin their inter - county games during January with the RAF under 16 and Under 13 Minute Maid sponsored competitions featuring boys and girls competitions. The weather at the start of the year has not been good; hopefully all 20 finals at the end of the season will be on schedule. Finals are already being arranged by the competitions department with plans underway for the primary finals to be staged at Wembley and the under 16 finals at the new home of Manchester City.
For the first weekend of the new school term I have been with the U18 England trialists at the National Sports Centre, Lilleshall. I witnessed training sessions and two games against the RAF and the Royal Navy. Both games were played with an excellent competitive but sporting attitude. The first game against the RAF ended in a 2-0 defeat which did not reflect the technical superiority of the U18 who outplayed their older opponents for long periods but somehow failed to score from a number of excellent chances. In the second match the game was very even for long periods in the first hour of the game. However, the U18 Red team in the final third of the match demonstrated their superior teamwork and finishing ability winning comfortably 3-1 by the final whistle. This group of 34 players were a pleasure to watch and be with for the weekend. They are a credit to their counties and the ESFA. The final squad selection gave the team management and selectors some very difficult decisions to make. However, the squad of players have been selected and can be viewed on the website. I look forward to meeting them in two weeks time for the final squad training weekend and game against Australia.
Preparations for Wembley are well under way and tickets are now available from ticket coordinators or from the head office. Hopefully all colleagues will support the event which will include Primary Finals, a celebrity game and the Under 18 International against Scotland. What a day and experience it will be for all the young players and schools involved and of course ESFA officials and me. I look forward to meeting all colleagues on Saturday April 26th.
Over the next few months the ESFA will be holding a series of regional meetings to discuss future developments and associated issues. Chief Executive John Read has written to all county secretaries with details and the locations of meetings. The views of membership are vital to the outcomes of these meetings so be supportive and attend.
Finally, I would like to thank colleagues for their commitment to their young players and for their administrative duties within the ESFA. I wish you all the best for the New Year.
Gerry Smith.
Chairman
Lorna & Malcolm Berry
Lorna and Malcolm Berry have informed us that they have returned to live in their native North-east. 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.
Mr & Mrs M Berry
4 Hazelwood Court
Langley Park
Durham
DH7 9FY
Chief Executive’s Update
Enclosed with this Newsletter is information regarding 4 Area meetings that will be held at the end of February beginning of March. Your Council has decided that before we finalize the Business Plan for the period 2008-2012, which will detail our strategic way forward, we should ask our members for their views.
The meetings will have a tight schedule and Agenda and we are prepared to talk and discuss policy and strategic matters only. Without a plan for the way forward in the light of all the new developments in the delivery of football to schools, the over developed County FA work in schools and the advent of Partnership Development Officers and Competition Managers, we will not be in position to deliver football into schools. This could jeopardize our position with the Football Association as the National Governing Body of Schools’ Football.
We need to investigate the structure of the administration and organization. Are we fit to deliver what we wish to deliver in the competition sense? How can we overcome the increasing loss of finance and how do we reverse the trend of volunteering and attract more young teachers in to our Associations. These are the questions we must ask ourselves.
Council
David Gent from Newbury & District Primary Schools now has two Council meetings under his belt; however, we are still short of a replacement Council Member for Area H. Once again I ask those of you reading this in Area H to consider supporting your national Association by volunteering to join Phil Harding on the Council. The position overall looks bleak when you consider that we lose another two members to retirement at the end of this year, followed by two more the following year.
Competitions
We are currently recruiting for a Competitions Admin Assistant to start work as soon as possible. The advert is on the web site if you know of anyone who might be interested in applying. Time is running out now because deadlines and interview dates have been set.
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 Affiliations will soon be able to be completed on line. Darren tells me that we have reached the 1 million ‘hits’ mark on the web site, although recordings at our web site administers office shows that we have far more than 1 million hits so far.
Coaching and International Selection
The Chairman has mentioned this earlier in the Newsletter, however, listed below are the boys who have been selected to play for England this season.
- Ben Lewis - Somerset
- Ashley Ulph - Kent
- Alex Duffy - Gloucestershire
- Christopher Smalling - Kent
- Aaron Martin - Hampshire
- Jack Thorley - Staffordshire
- Callum Riley - Leicestershire
- Matthew Bloor - Humberside
- Harry Hambleton – West Midlands
- Tom Siddons - Lincolnshire
- Lucas Pickett - Hampshire
- Luke Cole – Devon
- Jonathan Webb – North Yorkshire
- Tom Grice - Merseyside
- Jason Hawes - Kent
- James Wannell - Devon
- Iyiola Awosika - Buckinghamshire
- Taylor Morgan - Hampshire
- Danny Watson - Bedfordshire
- Markell Bailey - Nottinghamshire
Primary
Small sided football is once again being revisited by the Football Association. Steve Abson sits on that Working Group as the Schools’ representative and will report back when all the decisions have been made.
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
Please support us by buying tickets and selling to anyone who would like to experience the Wembley Feeling in a really child friendly atmosphere.Details of the day are being circulated in a special mailing in about a weeks time, although preliminary order forms were sent to all schools in the last Newsletter.
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.
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 later this season.
Finally
- If you are in 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
- Look after player discipline.
- Ensure parental behaviour is acceptable.
- Best wishes for a successful 2008 and see you at Wembley on 26th April.
ESFA WEBSITE
Keep up to date with all the latest news, results and cup draws from the world of schools’ football at www.esfa.co.uk
