Issue 17
Welcome to this weeks e-newsletter. The purpose of the e-newsletters is to keep you informed of news and events within the league and the wider grassroots football community.
The newsletter is emailed out to all club secretaries on a Friday and now also appears on the website (www.junleague.com).
**LEAGUE NOTICES**
Please remember all results have to be reported by 6pm on Sunday evening. Please send all the results to results@junleague.com.
Any club wishing to hold the League Cup finals can apply to the League. Grounds must have changing rooms, catering facilities and good car parking. The finals will take place on the 28th March for the under 9s to under 15s. The under 16 finals will take place midweek under lights and the League have asked Stocksbridge (Cup) and Maltby (Trophy) to host them
A reminder that postponement requests for fixtures must be made to the League Secretary 28 days or more in advance. The postponement request form can be downloaded from the League website.
The League Full Time website is currently the most viewed in the UK. To see the top 100 Full Time Leagues visit http://full-time.thefa.com/TopLeagues.do
As always if you have suggestions on how the League can develop and improve please send them to the League Secretary (nathan.batchelor@junleague.com)
All club secretaries are reminded that when they have received a standard match card fine i.e. no sporting points they must contact the age group registrar with the missing details (as well as pay the fine).
A reminder that clubs can bring forward league fixtures, just let your age-group registrar know. If you find yourself with a blank week and also know that another team within your division is not playing please arrange to play your league fixture, as this will help everyone.
Player Registration Cards. The rules are simple, no cards – no game. Managers are signing match cards to say that they have seen the player cards. If someone complains afterwards despite signing the match cards then both teams are liable for a charge. The team at fault will be charged by the League for non fulfilment. Under no circumstances must you agree to play a friendly fixture in these circumstances, as this match would not sanctioned and teams could land themselves in big trouble with the County FA.
The Respect Fair Play Handshake should take place prior to all fixtures. Many of you will be aware that this happens prior to all Premier League and Football League matches.
Teams should have in place a method to stop spectators standing on the touchline. It is recommended that clubs use the FA respect barriers (http://www.respectzone.com/) but cones, an additional white line or rope provided it is safe are more then adequate.
A reminder that all misconduct must be reported to the County FA. This includes issues with spectators, clubs and referees.
A reminder that from next season (2010/2011) in order to affiliate with the County FA, all clubs in this league must have a named Welfare Officer, who has an ‘accepted’ CRB check via The FA CRB Unit and who has completed The FA Safeguarding Children and Welfare Officer Workshop (WOW). The Safeguarding Children and Welfare Officer Workshop have to be renewed every 3 years and must be valid at the time of affiliation. In order to assist clubs, the League will be putting on a WOW course, please contact the League Welfare Officer (Lisa Smith) lisa.smith@junleague.com to register your interest on the WOW course.
**FA NOTICE: NON-REGISTERED REFEREES**
There are an increasing number of people who are regularly making themselves available to Clubs to referee matches when they have not registered with the Association.
The regulations of The Football Association state that every referee must have received appropriate Safeguarding Children training in addition to completing a CRB check. Referees who do not fulfill this requirement will not be allowed to register for season 2008/2009.
Please also note that from September, 2008, it will be a criminal offence for anyone to work in a paid or voluntary capacity with children (U18), unless they have an accepted CRB check. The Association, League, Club and individual referee or Club official are all responsible and have a legal responsibility to ensure that these requirements are carried out.
Please note the following in relation to this:
* People regularly refereeing whilst not registered will invalidate the public liability insurance cover for a club which is provided by the Association and will not be covered for public liability insurance or personal accident insurance for themselves as an individual.
* Stand-in referees are covered by the Public Liability Insurance. The definition of a stand-in referee is a bone-fide member of a club who referees on a one-off basis when a registered referee is unavailable. A stand-in referee does not referee on a regular basis.
* A referee who fails to register with the Association for two consecutive seasons is deemed as not qualified and is required to re-take the referee examination in order to renew registration.
From a clubs/league point of view, referee’s should provide a 7 digit number, anyone providing a 4 digit number should be questioned and the clubs should make checks to see if they are actually qualified and registered. 90% of referees will appear in the County FA handbook which all club secretaries have a copy of. If in any doubt contact the County FA.
**WELFARE NEWS**
The following clubs need to send details of their club welfare officers to lisa.smith@junleague.com so the League can create an up-to-date database:
AFC Mosbrough, Beighton Magpies, Catcliffe juniors, Chapeltown juniors, Clifton Juniors, Darfield, Ecclesall juniors, Ecclesall Rangers, Hollinsend JFC, Hoyland Common Falcons, Hoyland Town Juniors, Lunward and District, Owls trust all stars, Oxspring, Ranch Dynamos, Rawmarsh St Joseph, Rotherham Town, Sheffield Sixes, Sheffield United Junior Blades, Thorncliffe Colts, Thorncliffe Juniors and Wasps JFC.
Lisa requires your club welfare officer name, address, phone number and email address. The League will be putting on some events for club welfare officers in the near future.
**WEBSITE NEWS**
The League is supporting the Sheffield 2018 bid.
The cup and trophy draw is now on the website.
County FA Suspensions are now on the website, go to documents and you will find the a link to open an excel spreadsheet with the details of all player suspensions within this league.
**COUNTY FA WEBSITE ARTICLES**
Sheffield & Hallamshire FA teamed up with the community team from Barnsley FC to deliver the Kick It Out message, during the One Game, One Community Weeks of Action Campaign at the end of last month. This event held on Friday 30th October at the Barnsley FC Academy was one of many events held across the region as part of the Kick Racism Out of Football – Weeks of Action 15th – 27th October 2009. For more details visit http://www.sheffieldfa.com
Text the word SHEFFIELD to 62018 to register YOUR support for Sheffield 2018 to be a host city if England win the World Cup bid.
**CLUB DEVELOPMENT**
Community Cashback
Community Cashback is a new scheme that gives local people a say in how £4m of recovered criminal assets should be spent in their communities. You can suggest a project you would like to see happening in your area or have your say on a project suggested by someone else in your community. Visit http://cashback.cjsonline.gov.uk
Gift Aid and umbrella charities
NAVCA is encouraging its members to use Government guidance that could help community groups claim Gift Aid on donations. The Office of the Third Sector published guidelines in March 2008 stating that small community groups without charitable status could funnel donations through local umbrella bodies such as CVSs. The umbrella body could then claim Gift Aid on their behalf and pass on the money, taking an agreed small percentage of the donation that they process as an administration fee. For more information, see the NAVCA website (http://www.navca.org.uk/news/giftaidumbrella.htm)
CHANGEit Awards 2010
CHANGEit, run by Common Purpose and supported by Deutsche Bank, is an awards scheme designed to recognise, support, reward and inspire 11-18 year olds throughout the UK who want to make a difference to the communities they live in. Deadline for nominations is Friday 11 December. Visit www.changeit.org.uk
Nominations for High Sheriff Awards 2010
The High Sheriff's Award recognises the work done by individuals in the community. Nominations are being called for a volunteer, or someone who occupies a paid community role, that goes the extra mile. There is also an Under 18 award presented to any unsung hero making a difference in their community. Deadlines for nominations is 29 January 2010. For further information or to make a nomination contact Helena Muller, High Sheriff of South Yorkshire at helena@lostchord.fsnet.co.uk
**UNDER 7 & UNDER 8**
A lot of managers in this age-group are still getting confused how to complete the match cards. To clarify the following needs to be completed on the match cards for the Under 7s & under 8s: Date, Age-group, Division, Home and Away teams, sporting points for players, sporting points for managers&supporters, the referees name (“A Parent” is not acceptable – the full referees name must be written down), red & yellow cards need to have a number or “nil” and the managers signature from each team.
That’s it for this week. I hope you find this newsletter of benefit. Please
pass it around your club.
Kind regards
Nathan Batchelor
League Secretary
www.junleague.com