Annual Report - Essex County FA
Transcription
Annual Report - Essex County FA
ESSEX COUNTY FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION LIMITED Annual Report Essex County FA: Annual Report ESSEX COUNTY FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION LIMITED Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Essex County FA Limited will be held at the Essex Record Office, Wharf Road, Chelmsford, Essex on Thursday 5th June 2014 at 7:30pm, for the transaction of the ordinary and special business of the company, an agenda of which accompanies this notice. The Chairman of the Association, AR Berry, will preside and the Chief Executive will read the notice convening the meeting. AGENDA Chairman’s Remarks Business of the Meeting Ordinary Business 1. To consider the accounts and balance sheet of the company for the year ended and to receive the report of the directors. By Order of the Council 2. To appoint Bird Luckin as auditors and to authorise the directors to fix their remuneration. PR Sammons Chief Executive and Company Secretary The Admission Slip on Page 41 of this report should be handed to the Association’s representative when signing the attendance book at the meeting. Only one representative of a league, competition or club will be admitted. If appointing a proxy, you must complete a Proxy Form and return it by post to the Essex County FA Office or E-Mail a scanned version to info@essexfa.com to arrive by 7:00pm on Tuesday 3rd June 2014. 3. To appoint a Life Member. The Executive Council have proposed Keith A Miller as a Life Member of the Essex County Football Limited. Special Business 4. To consider and, if thought fit, pass, as a special resolution, the amendments to the Articles of Association of the Essex County Football Association Limited. Registered Office: Springfield Lyons Approach, Springfield, Chelmsford, CM2 5LB. Registered in Cardiff: No 3843186. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 1 Essex County FA: Annual Report DIRECTORS’ REPORT o For the Year Ended 31st December 2013 o Principal activities: The principal activity of the company continued to be that of administration of football in the county of Essex. The company is fully committed to the development and support of grassroots football in Essex, for which it has been congratulated by The FA. During the year, the company has continued to assist all affiliated local clubs by way of making payment of public liability insurance on their behalf. The Board continually reviews and considers all opportunities to assist the growth and development of the game in the county, both financially and on an administrative support level. Directors: The following directors have held office since 1st January 2013: MP Hemsted (resigned on 6th June 2013), DA Threadgold, AR Berry, MV Elliott, JG Saxton, CN Moorcroft, WA Deller, LA Segal (appointed on 6th June 2013). Auditors: The auditors, Bird Luckin Limited, are deemed to be reappointed under section 487(2) of the Companies Act 2006. Statement of Directors’ Responsibilities: The directors are responsible for preparing the Directors’ Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations. Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the directors have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). Under company law the directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company and of the surplus of deficit of the company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the directors are required to: o select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business The directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. Statement of Disclosure To Auditors: So far as the directors are aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the company’s auditors are unaware. Additionally, the directors have taken all the necessary steps that they ought to have taken as directors in order to make themselves aware of all relevant audit information and to establish that the company’s auditors are aware of that information. This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions relating to small companies within Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006. On behalf of the board, AR Berry Director 10th March 2014 Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 2 Essex County FA: Annual Report INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT To the Members of the Essex County Football Association Ltd We have audited the financial statements of Essex County Football Association Ltd for the year ended 31st December 2013 set out on Pages 4 to 6. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (effective April 2008) (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice applicable to Smaller Entities). This report is made solely to the company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditors’ report, and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed. Respective Responsibilities of Directors and Auditors: As explained more fully in the Directors’ Responsibilities Statement set out on Page 2, the directors are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view. Our responsibility is to audit and express an opinion on the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland). Those standards require us to comply with the Auditing Practices Board’s Ethical Standards for Auditors. Scope of the Audit of the Financial Statements: An audit involves obtaining evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements sufficient to give reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or error. This includes an assessment of: whether the accounting policies are appropriate to the company’s circumstances and have been consistently applied and adequately disclosed; the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by the directors; and the overall presentation of the financial statements. In addition, we read all the financial and non-financial information in the Annual Report to identify material inconsistencies with the audited financial statements and to identify any information that is apparently materially incorrect based on, or materially inconsistent with, the knowledge acquired by us in the course of performing the audit. If we become aware of any apparent material misstatements or inconsistencies we consider the implications for our report. Opinion on Financial Statements: In our opinion, the financial statements: o o o give a true and fair view of the state of the company’s affairs as at 31st December 2013 and of its surplus for the year then ended have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice applicable to Smaller Entities and have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 Opinion on Other Matter Prescribed by the Companies Act 2006: In our opinion, the information given in the Directors’ Report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 3 Essex County FA: Annual Report 4 Matters on Which We are Required to Report by Exception: We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion: o o o o o adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us or the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns or certain disclosures of directors’ remuneration specified by law are not made or we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit or the directors were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies’ exemption in preparing the directors’ report and from preparing a strategic report Joanna Hamblin (Senior Statutory Auditor) for and on behalf of Bird Luckin Limited, Chartered Accountants (Statutory Auditor), Aquila House, Waterloo Lane, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 1BN. INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT For the Year Ended 31st December 2013 2013 £ 2012 £ Turnover 824,382 805,759 Cost of Sales (519,158) (472,897) Gross surplus 305,224 332,862 Administrative Expenses Other Operating Income (775,387) 643,447 (868,253) 660,283 Operating surplus 173,284 124,892 8,303 4,318 9,016 15,399 Surplus on Ordinary Activities Before Taxation 190,603 144,609 Tax on Surplus on Ordinary Activities (1,561) (3,943) 189,042 140,666 Investment Income Other Interest Receivable and Similar Income Surplus for the Year Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball Essex County FA: Annual Report 5 BALANCE SHEET For the Year Ended 31st December 2013 £ 2013 Fixed Assets Tangible Assets Investments Current Assets Debtors Cash at Bank and In Hand Creditors: Amounts Falling Due Within One Year £ £ £ 634,157 742,992 644,936 741,149 1,377,149 1,386,085 10,237 1,119,988 12,734 989,005 1,130,225 1,001,739 (367,634) Net Current Assets 2012 (376,803) 762,591 624,936 2,139,740 2,011,021 (143,424) (147,010) 1,996,316 1,864,011 Capital and Reserves Other Reserves Income and Expenditure Account 60,263 1,936,053 60,000 1,804,011 Members’ Funds 1,996,316 1,864,011 Total Assets Less Current Liabilities Creditors: Amounts Falling Due After More Than One Year These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime within Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 and with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (effective April 2008). Approved by the Board for issue on 10th March 2014. DA Threadgold Director AR Berry Director Company Registration No. 03843186 Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball Essex County FA: Annual Report ESSEX COUNTY FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION BENEVOLENT FUND 227116 Accounts 2013 INCOME: £ Interest Investment Gains Donations 2012 £ £ £ 23 - 32 - 3,510 5,818 3,533 5,850 EXPENDITURE: Grants Investment Charges Bank Interest 3,275 - 4,035 3,275 258 4,035 1,815 2013 £ 2012 £ £ £ ACCUMULATED FUND: Balance as at 1st January 2012 Surplus/(Deficit) for the Period REPRESENTED BY: Barclays Bond Bank Balances Current Account High Interest Account Balance Due to ECFA 69,621 258 67,806 1,815 69,879 69,621 69,879 69,621 35,000 - 2,134 4,755 33,314 65,431 35,448 (569) 70,186 (565) 69,879 69,621 Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 6 Essex County FA: Annual Report ANNUAL REPORT 2013 saw The Football Association’s 150th anniversary celebrated - and the Essex County Football Association’s 131st. How football has changed since the respective formations in 1863 and 1882. It is, of course, now a global game, generating vast sums of money at the top which has seen improvements in every aspect from stadium facilities, pitch quality, player salaries and TV coverage through to the advent of the use of goal line technology. This is sadly how millions see the football product only at the top. At the bottom in grassroots, facility provision looks very different, as does the pitch quality. Money appears no objective at the top but, at the bottom, it is very limited. As a consequence, at grassroots level we are being challenged by the expectations this global image portrays. The weather has, once again, focused the football family on pitch quality and, as I mentioned last year, the use of 3G has become the big topic. This debate has moved on from their acceptance to “we need as many as possible”. This, of course, returns us to the subject of money. A 3G pitch costs in the region of £400,000 and one can immediately see this creates a huge problem. The upside is that matches get played, but only if clubs can accept they may be playing at different times every week. The decline in 11v11 is still of concern, and whether this flexible approach to kick-off times can reverse this only time will tell. Harlow Town FC kicked off the season with a 3G and became the first National League club in the county to replace their grass with artificial turf. They have seen an increase in use of the ground and income to support club activities. In last year’s report I made reference to “the electronic world whereby the participants will have access to the same system as those in the County Office. This will see affiliation, discipline, refereeing registration, payments and player registrations being processed online.” Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 7 Essex County FA: Annual Report This referred to The FA’s ‘Whole Game System’. Sadly, this did not take place but, by the end of 2013, we are hopefully back on schedule and 2014 will see this evolving. Talking of the electronic world, the Association did not send out a handbook as part of the affiliation process, but made it available online. The Youth Development Review (YDR) was approved by the Football Association Council on 28th May 2012. This had seen the first full review since the advent of mini-soccer in 1999. 2013 was the first year of its implementation and, in general terms, the YDR set down the formats for pitch, goal and ball size for each age group in order to achieve the key benefits of: o o o o o o more touches of the ball more goals and scoring attempts more one-on-one encounters and dribbling attempts increased enjoyment development of technical skills better preparation for 11v11 football By 2015/16 there will be no league tables until the age of twelve and 11v11 will only be permitted from the Under 13s age group. EXECUTIVE COUNCIL The Association’s past President, Jack Hayward, passed away on Saturday 21st December, aged 96. Jack had been a member of the Executive Council since 1960 and, from 1978-1993, he was the Essex County FA Representative on the FA Council. On leaving The Football Association, he was made an Honorary Member. In 1981 he was made a Life Member of the Essex County FA, in 1990 a Life Vice-President and President from 2000-2010. George Cash, who represented the Essex County Schools FA from 1992 to 1998, sadly died at the age of 91. George was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) following his heroism during the Second World War. Flight Lieutenant George Cash was shot down over Germany on the night of 18th July 1944, was captured after a few days, interrogated, and sent to a prisoner of war camp on the Baltic coast. He arrived at Stalag Luft 1 on his 23rd birthday, 1st August 1944. The year saw Dave Pinney resign from his role as Group Three Youth Representative, having served for eight years. He was replaced by Mark Holmes. Colin Hollely stepped down as Group Four Adult Representative, this after twelve years of service, as did Louise Brown, the Group One Youth Representative. Kevin Curran, Group Three Adult Representative, and Chris Lee from the Essex Referees Association, both joined the Council during the year. Again we thank the volunteer council members for their service to grassroots football. BOARD The Board of seven only saw one change this year, that being Michael Hemsted, who stepped down in June having been a member of the Board for the maximum twelve years. His role of Director Responsible for Regulations & Sanctions was taken by Lawrence Segal, who has served eight years on the Executive Council. The Board met on nine occasions during the year. STAFF The County Office had a number of changes in personnel during 2013. Gary Mellish and Glenn Moss both left after five years of service to be replaced by Melissa Cowell and Nicola Crowl. Sue Wells, the College & Community Football Coordinator, left after a short period to be replaced by Luke Hornsley who has been with the Association, in an administration role, for over four years. Faye Lambert, who joined the Association in November 2011 as a GetIntoFootball Officer for Thurrock, left in May when funding for the post came to an end. I would like to thank all our leavers for the service they have given the Association. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 8 Essex County FA: Annual Report Emma Willis joined the team in November to cover the maternity period of Lana Gillard, while Kevin Watts was appointed as a Community Coach. Anna Eborall and Gary Piggott both recorded ten years of service and we thank them both for the loyalty they have shown to the Essex County FA. I’d take this opportunity to thank all the staff, who work tirelessly and professionally across all aspects of the Association’s work. Governance Team: Greg Hart, Fran Smith, Sarah Shaw, Mark Wallis, Robert Craven, Anna Eborall and Nikki Crowl. MEMBERSHIP At the end of 2013, the Membership Figures were as follows, with a comparison against 2012: Affiliated Clubs 2013 Teams 2012 Teams Charter Standard 2013 2012 Senior 42 105 43 105 Youth Clubs 136 135 Step Seven 30 104 30 100 Adult Clubs 119 107 Junior 894 1,317 950 1,376 Community Clubs 28 26 Youth 306 2,735 327 2,687 Development Clubs 18 14 Women 37 47 38 46 Girls 59 151 65 158 Total 1,368 4,459 1,453 4,472 Total 301 282 Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 9 Essex County FA: Annual Report DISCIPLINE Discipline 2013 2012 2013 2012 Cautions 17,445 15,306 Personal Hearings 86 114 Misconducts 1,143 1,106 Correspondence Hearings 1,058 1,087 Standard 2,426 2,208 Standard Punishments 2,425 2,113 Cautions 17,445 15,306 Total 21,014 18,620 Total 21,014 18,620 As you can see, there has been an increase in the misconduct charges raised during 2013 but this must be taken in the context of the very good weather during November and December, as opposed to the poor weather in this period for the previous year. During 2013, the Council debated The FA’s match-based discipline procedures, in particular the way in which standard charges and straight red cards, can be disputed. This was following a request from Tolleshunt Knights Eagles FC. They had a player sent from the field of play but did not have video or DVD evidence. As a result of the debate, the Essex County FA officially requested The FA to review the procedure - to permit a dispute without video/DVD evidence. This was discussed at FA Council level, and it is currently being reviewed for the 2014/15 season. REGULATIONS AND SANCTIONS Standard Code All leagues have adhered to The FA ‘Standard Code of Rules’ and these are now checked annually for accuracy and to update them in-line with FA policy. The Standard Code of Rules was revised by The FA to implement the provisions of the Youth Development Review, which saw the introduction of smaller formats and more restrictions on competitive football. The second change was to reflect the requirement to use 3G artificial pitches for their fixtures. Previously, clubs could refuse to play matches on 3G. Appeals 2013 saw 24 appeals made against league decisions received by the Essex County FA, compared to 37 in 2012. As in previous years, members of the Executive Council presided over these appeals. The decisions were: o o o o o o 10 upheld 2 upheld, with the decision being varied 9 dismissed 1 not accepted 1 league removed charges 1 club requested the appeal to be withdrawn Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 10 Essex County FA: Annual Report REPRESENTATIVE SQUADS 2012/13 FA County Youth Cup Having won the competition in 2012, Essex began their defence with a First Round bye before, defeating Oxfordshire 4-1 in the Second Round tie played at East Thurrock United FC’s Rookery Hill ground. The Third Round saw a repeat of 2012’s semi-final as Wiltshire travelled to Essex, but a disappointing afternoon saw the West Country county avenge the previous season’s reverse as Essex were knocked out, 2-1, in a fixture played at Maldon & Tiptree FC’s Wallace Binder home. East Anglian Counties Championship Despite scoring a high number of goals, Essex fell short in the Under 18s section. Hertfordshire were beaten 4-0 in the opening fixture before high-scoring fixtures at home to Suffolk and Norfolk, which the county lost 5-4 and drew 3-3 respectively. Remaining fixtures saw a narrow 2-1 defeat in Cambridgeshire and a goalless home draw with Bedfordshire. Under 18s Norfolk Cambridgeshire Bedfordshire Suffolk Essex Hertfordshire P W D L F A GD Pts 5 3 1 1 13 12 1 10 5 3 1 2 12 10 2 9 5 2 1 2 10 10 0 7 5 2 1 2 15 16 -1 7 5 1 2 2 12 10 2 5 5 1 2 2 4 8 -4 5 Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 11 Essex County FA: Annual Report The Under 16s beat both Cambridgeshire (3-1 away) and then Bedfordshire (5-2 at home) to top the table at the turn of the year before being narrowly defeated in their final two matches with 32 and 1-0 defeats at Suffolk and Hertfordshire. Under 16s Suffolk Hertfordshire Essex Bedfordshire Cambridgeshire P W D L F A GD Pts 4 3 0 1 13 7 6 9 4 3 0 1 7 4 3 9 4 2 0 2 10 7 3 6 4 1 1 2 7 11 -4 4 4 0 1 3 3 11 -8 1 Essex Women began their campaign with a 2-2 draw away to Suffolk before falling to an unfortunate 2-1 home reverse against Cambridgeshire in their second game. The season finished with a 3-0 home defeat to a strong Hertfordshire side, who earned the title in the process. Women Hertfordshire Cambridgeshire Essex Suffolk P W D L F A GD Pts 3 3 0 0 16 2 14 9 3 2 0 1 6 5 1 6 3 0 1 2 3 7 -4 1 3 0 1 2 5 16 -11 1 COUNTY CUP FINALS 2012/13 Not for the first time, County Cup finals were hit by inclement weather, with late March and early April bringing either wet or freezing weather. But, regardless, all competitions were completed by the first week in May. The plaudits go to Thurrock, who won each of the four eldest youth competitions - the Andrews Under 14s, Rosser Under 15s, Cassells Under 16s and Pelly Under 18s cups. The remaining youth competitions saw Upminster Park Rovers (Greens) win a thrilling Under 11s Cup final 5-4 against Stanway Villa, while Hutton (Clarets) won the Under 12s Cup and Concord Rangers beat Euro Dagenham in a penalty shootout in the Cordell Under 13s Cup. In the Essex Senior Cup, over 1,000 people attended the final at Dagenham & Redbridge FC’s Victoria Road ground as AFC Hornchurch came from behind to defeat Grays Athletic, 2-1. The Saturday Premier Cup saw Gas Recreation defeat Wadham Lodge, while the Saturday Junior Cup was won by AFC Cranham and the Saturday Junior Trophy by Old Barkabbeyans A. Nicholas Wybacks beat Wickbeech in an entertaining Sunday Premier Cup final, with Writtle Manor picking up the Sunday Junior Cup and Boreham lifting the Sunday Junior Trophy. The Saturday Veterans Cup went to Little Thurrock Dynamos and Railway Academicals won the Sunday Veterans Cup. The Women’s Cup final brought about an upset when C & K Basildon needed just a single goal to overcome Colchester United, 1-0, under the floodlights at AFC Hornchurch. Takeley were awarded the Women’s Trophy after their opposition, Southend Manor, unfortunately fielded an ineligible player in the final. Elsewhere in the female competitions, Clacton United took home the Under 14s Girls Cup and West Ham United won the Under 16s Girls Cup competition. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 12 Essex County FA: Annual Report Under 14s Girls Cup Clacton United 2-0 Leigh Ramblers (at Burnham Ramblers FC), Sunday 17th March 2013. Referee: Amy Nettleship, Assistant Referees: Alex Roofe and Charlie Bruce, Fourth Official: Luke Chittock. Saturday Premier Cup supported by BBC Essex Gas Recreation 2-0 Wadham Lodge (at Billericay Town FC), Wednesday 10th April 2013. Referee: Lloyd Wood, Assistant Referees: Edward Smith and Daniel Cook, Fourth Official: Jamie Garwood. Under 16s Girls Cup Sunday Junior Trophy Eastern Avenue 2-4 West Ham United (at Burnham Ramblers FC), Sunday 17th March 2013. Referee: Emma Gregory, Assistant Referees: Ben Bashford and Dominic Massey, Fourth Official: Alex Haynes. Becontree Avenue 0-1 Boreham (at Saffron Walden Town FC), Sunday 14th April 2013. Referee: Jamie Pope, Assistant Referees: Andrew Jamieson and Chris Cooper, Fourth Official: Dean Welham. Saturday Veterans Cup Cordell Under 13s Cup Heath Park 1-2 Little Thurrock Dynamos (at Heybridge Swifts FC), Wednesday 27th March 2013. Referee: Martin Osborne, Assistant Referees: Keith Ross and Nicholas Hodges, Fourth Official: Thomas Bullard. Women’s Cup supported by BBC Essex C & K Basildon 1-0 Colchester United (at AFC Hornchurch), Thursday 28th March 2013. Referee: Donna Nuth, Assistant Referees: Pat Cullen and Jeff Caley, Fourth Official: Sue Newton. Saturday Junior Trophy North Weald 0-1 Old Barkabbeyans A (after extra time) (at Aveley FC), Wednesday 3rd April 2013. Referee: Stuart Cheek, Assistant Referees: Steve Tovey and Steven Marr, Fourth Official: Chris Horsman. Sunday Junior Cup Southray (Seconds) 1-6 Writtle Manor (at Canvey Island FC), Sunday 7th April 2013. Referee: Thomas Brooks, Assistant Referees: Carl Whay and Karl Dunnage, Fourth Official: Jack Bloxham. Concord Rangers 2-2 Euro Dagenham (after extra time, Concord won 5-4 on penalties) (at Saffron Walden Town FC), Sunday 14th April 2013. Referee: Ashley Howard, Assistant Referees: Sam Cullen and Aaron Farmer, Fourth Official: Ben Figg. Senior Cup supported by BBC Essex AFC Hornchurch 2-1 Grays Athletic (at Dagenham & Redbridge FC), Monday 15th April 2013. Referee: Keith Yeo, Assistant Referees: Anthony Pope and James Whittaker Jnr, Fourth Official: Adam Crysell. Cassells Under 16s Cup Rippleway United 0-2 Thurrock (at East Thurrock United FC), Wednesday 17th April 2013. Referee: Adam Miller, Assistant Referees: Kerry Fairless and Jim Tumini, Fourth Official: Jonathan Wing. Under 12s Cup Alemite Athletic (Reds) 1-2 Hutton (Clarets) (after extra time) (at Burnham Ramblers FC), Monday 16th April 2013. Referee: Josh O’Sullivan, Assistant Referees: Charlie Carlton and Dominic Cowell, Fourth Official: Craig Gorman. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 13 Essex County FA: Annual Report Under 11s Cup Pelly Under 18s Cup Stanway Villa (Blues) 4-5 Upminster Park Rovers (Greens) (after extra time) (at Burnham Ramblers FC), Sunday 21st April 2013. Referee: Kieron Lee, Assistant Referees: Joe Markwick and Sean Lyons, Fourth Official: Sam Wigington. Brentwood Town 1-1 Thurrock (after extra time, Thurrock won 5-4 on penalties) (at Billericay Town FC), Wednesday 1st May 2013. Referee: John Magill, Assistant Referees: Ray Savill and Aaron Irvine, Fourth Official: Stuart McMillan. Saturday Junior Cup Women’s Trophy AFC Cranham 3-1 Rayleigh Town Reserves (at Heybridge Swifts FC), Wednesday 24th April 2013. Referee: Stephen Moore, Assistant Referees: Dean Skipper and David Bloxham, Fourth Official: David Gainsford. Southend Manor 2-1 Takeley (Southend Manor fielded an ineligible player, Takeley awarded the trophy) (at Billericay Town FC), Thursday 2nd May 2013. Referee: Jack Morris, Assistant Referees: Joseph Gray and Paul Sturton, Fourth Official: Stefan Vacean. Andrews Under 14s Cup East Thurrock United 1-3 Thurrock (at Bowers & Pitsea FC), Sunday 28th April 2013. Referee: Thomas Whay, Assistant Referees: Tom Beattie and James Beal, Fourth Official: Elliot Horne. Rosser Under 15s Cup Thurrock 2-0 Upminster Park Rovers (Greens) (at Bowers & Pitsea FC), Sunday 28th April 2013. Referee: Robert Claussen, Assistant Referees: Adam Humphreys and Adam Arthur, Fourth Official: Craig Barnett. Sunday Premier Cup supported by BBC Essex Nicholas Wybacks 3-1 Wickbeech (at Great Wakering Rovers FC), Sunday 5th May 2013. Referee: Steve Rubery, Assistant Referees: Dave Hutton and Paul Waller, Fourth Official: Peter Newman. Sunday Veterans Cup Great Wakering Rovers 1-2 Railway Academicals (at Great Wakering Rovers FC), Sunday 5th May 2013. Referee: Michael Scott, Assistant Referees: Martin Berry and Wesley Driskel, Fourth Official: Stephen Weeks. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 14 Essex County FA: Annual Report ESSEX CLUBS IN NATIONAL COMPETITIONS 2012/13 Colchester United narrowly maintained their position as Essex’s leading Football League representatives when a final-day victory at Carlisle United ensured that they avoided relegation from League One. In League Two, there was a narrow escape for Dagenham & Redbridge, who evaded demotion to the Conference Premier on goal difference. Southend United finished eleventh, although there was the bonus of an inaugural Wembley appearance for the Shrimpers courtesy of their run in the Football League Trophy. Having defeated Leyton Orient in the Area Final, Southend were roared on against Crewe Alexandra by over 30,000 of their own fans, although it was not enough to defeat the Railwaymen, who triumphed 2-0 in the final. In the Conference Premier, Braintree Town completed the campaign with a new highest ever placing of ninth, but Chelmsford City failed to join them after further Conference South play-off heartache, this time courtesy of a 2-1 aggregate semi-final defeat to Salisbury City. AFC Hornchurch and Billericay Town were relegated to the Ryman League Premier Division. Replacing them in the Conference South were Concord Rangers, who earned promotion to that level for the first time after a narrow 2-1 play-off final success away to Lowestoft Town in front of almost 2,500 fans at Crown Meadow. Thurrock were relegated, with their Isthmian League Premier Division place taken by Division One North champions Grays Athletic. Ilford lost their Isthmian League place, but Essex Senior League champions Burnham Ramblers and runners-up Barkingside reached Step Four for the first time. Southend United progressed to the Third Round of the FA Cup before losing a replay 2-1 at League One Brentford, but the biggest impact came from Chelmsford City, who shocked Essex rivals Colchester United 3-1 at Melbourne Stadium in the First Round before bowing out 3-0 to another League One club, Crawley Town, in the Second Round. Chelmsford City also enjoyed an extended run in the FA Trophy, reaching the Third Round where they lost 3-0 to FC Halifax Town. The Third Round also saw the conclusion of Essex involvement in the FA Vase - Brightlingsea Regent being ousted 3-2 by Brantham Athletic and Southend Manor defeated 3-0 at Lordswood and the FA Youth Cup, where Colchester United lost 3-2 at home to Chelsea and non-league Canvey Island were beaten 2-1 at Northampton Town. Upshire came very close to reaching the FA Sunday Cup final as they were edged out by Barnes Albion in the last four whilst, in the FA Women’s Cup, West Ham United made it to the Third Round, where they were defeated by the odd goal in five at Leeds United. C & K Basildon and Colchester United fell one round previously. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 15 Essex County FA: Annual Report REFEREES James Lisher and Glenn Moss Education - Recruitment & Retention Basic Referees Courses: This year we trained a total of 264 Level 9 trainee referees who all successfully qualified over the last calendar year. This was achieved by holding twelve two-day Basic Referee Courses during the year. Basic Referees Course 2013 Data Review: Detailed below is a short review of the total number of basic candidates we trained from January to December 2013 and, as you will see from the table, there is a breakdown of the total number of candidates completed and converted per course Month Completed Converted % 21 10 48 February 2013 15 9 60 February 2013 22 9 41 March 2013 21 12 57 April 2013 19 11 57 June 2013 17 2 11 July 2013 17 7 41 July 2013 22 9 40 August 2013 22 10 45 September 2013 22 1 4.5 October 2013 22 0 0 November 2013 22 0 0 December 2013 22 0 0 December 2013 264 80 30 Total Promotion Following the conclusion of the promotion season for 2012/13, The FA confirmed that the following referees had been promoted to their new respective levels for 2013/14: National List of Assistant Referees (Football League): Michael Smith. Level 4 to 3: Rick Bloy, Stuart Cheek, Daniel Cook, Simon Essex, James Whittaker Junior. Level 5 to 4: Jamie Pope, Paul Waller, Ray Wells. In addition to this, a Promotions Panel meeting was held on 15th March 2013. The match officials detailed below were promoted to their new levels: Level 6 to 5: Group 1: Richard Baker, David Byrne, James Parks, Maison Urwin, Stefan Vacean, Kevin Hayhow, Susan Newton, Joseph Wrigley. Group 2: Gordon Farrington, Thomas Bullard, Eugene Okonkwo, Joseph Earll, Kevin Wootton, Gary Duffy. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 16 Essex County FA: Annual Report Group 3: Neil Lawson, Richard Longden, Jack Morris, Roger Nutbrown, Craig Barnett, David Harrison, Robert Claussen, Damien Buhagiar, Robert Bradley, Kevin Lamb, Michael Scott, Lee Markwick. Group 4: Adekunle Fawunmi, Joseph Gray, Mark Pond, Adam Storey, Adam Humphreys. Level 7 to 6: Group 1: Kevin Fisher, Joseph Wrigley, Lewis Farthing, David Feline, Ashley Howard, James Beal, Ian Kilden. Group 2: Graham Scott, Thomas Whay, Ian Bartram, Justin Miller, Alan Ball. Group 3: Anthony Abbs, Craig Barnett, Sam Clarke, Alex Haynes, Stuart McMillan, Ian AngusFelton, Robert Eve, Elliot Horne, James Campbell-Skelly, Danny Harrington, Stephen Lester, Steven Marr, Dean Williams, Sam Cullen, Samuel Everitt, Lee Markwick, Max Thompson, Sam Wigington. Group 4: Jamie Scanes, Richard Wilsher, Emma Gregory, Adam Humphreys, Alexander Mullett, Josh O’Sullivan, Steven Wilson. Season 2013/14 - Promotion Application Deadline As one promotion season came to an end, another quickly started as the promotion application window closed on Friday 1 March 2013. This was a change from previous seasons as our application window was open until the 1st June. However, this went against FA regulations as the promotion application window should be between 1st January and 1st March each season. We received an amazing 145 promotion applications for the new promotion season. These can be broken down into their current respective levels: o o o Level 7 to 6 - 92 Level 6 to 5 - 35 Level 5 to 4 - 18 This year, despite moving the promotion application window to the 1st March, we have seen an amazing amount of responses for the promotion scheme from new Level 7s and 6s. They all want to progress through the promotion scheme as they have heard about all the good work our Referee Development Team have performed this season with our promotion candidates and Referee Academy Members. Workforce Following the successful launch of the Referee Development Team (RDT) in 2012, we are pleased to report the constitution of the team for 2013/14. County Assessors Coordinator: Dean Savage Group Area Assessors Coordinators Group 1 - Paul Hever Group 2 - Adrian Amey Group 3 - Val Pepperell Group 4 - Mark Goddard Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 17 Essex County FA: Annual Report Level 4 Development Coach: Keith Yeo Colchester Referee School of Excellence Coach: Maurice Cook Southend Referee School of Excellence Coach: Robert Claussen At the start of season 2013/14, after a successful recruitment campaign, we secured additional roles to the RDT in the shape of Terry Thacker, as our Referee Academy Coordinator, and the Level 9 Mentor Coordinators as detailed below: Group 1 - James Beal Group 2 - Damian Partis Group 3 - Sam Wigington Group 4 - Edward Smith Assessors: In August 2013 we held the first of our In-Service Training Workshops, designed to help prepare and focus our assessor workforce for the start of another busy season. The evening, held at the Essex County Cricket Club, was well attended by over 50 Assessors ranging in levels from our new Trainee Assessors right the way up to our Senior Assessors. Essex County FA Referee Development Officer James Lisher opened the evening with a short overview of how the new Assessor Pathway, which was introduced last season, had successfully helped increase the total number of assessments which had been carried out within the promotion scheme. He also paid tribute to the great work which had been carried out by the Group Area Assessor Coordinators and County Assessor Coordinator in the development of our assessor workforce. Thanks to the RDT, we are now in a position where we can also monitor and evaluate the quality of our Assessors’ reports, which means that the referee is now not the only one on promotion. The new pathway now allows for an active or retired referee who has obtained Level 6 or above within refereeing to be trained as assessors. They can then progress through the levels of the Assessor Pathway with the support of our RDT members, which is something that has never been possible previously. The Essex County FA would like to congratulate the following match officials for completing their basic assessor training for 2013/14, which has resulted in them all being reclassified from Trainee Assessors to County FA Assessors: Group 1: David Threadgold, Michael Tant, Dean Willsher. Group 2: Andrew Jamieson, Stephen Moore, Chris McGovern, Wade Norcott, Adrian Oldershaw, Alan Smith, Gary Waplington, Carl Whay. Group 3: Brett Grant, David Bloxham, Dean Skipper, Guy Pell-Illderton, Neil West, Kerry Fairless, Terry Murley, Trevor Veitch. Group 4: Ian Chilvers. Further congratulations also go to County Assessors Colin Lamb (Group 1) and Stuart Cheek (Group 4), as they have been nominated, following the assessment review, onto the Senior County Assessors panel. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 18 Essex County FA: Annual Report In addition to these assessor promotions, we can also confirm that the following Senior County Assessors have been nominated to progress on to receive Supply League Assessor training for the new season: Michael Allen (Group 4), Graham Bellingham (Group 3), Geoff Brazier (Group 2), John Cawson (Group 3), David Chittock (Group 3). Mentors: Following a complete review, we have successfully launched our new mentoring scheme which will now see it focus on supporting our new trainee Level 9 referees during their Module Four stage of the course. In October, we held a New Mentors Workshop which was attend by 66 referees who all indicated an interest in becoming a Mentor. The workshop provided each of them with the key skills required to mentor as well as an insight into how the new system would operate as part of our RDT. The Level 9 Mentor Coordinators detailed above are now in the process of contacting each of their new trainee referees to help and support them through the final modules, with the aim of getting them converted from a Level 9 to a Level 8 or 7 in the quickest possible time whilst also providing them with additional support through our panels of Mentors. National Referee Development Programme - Partner Leagues: In 2013, in partnership with The FA, we confirmed the following leagues as Partner Leagues with the National Referee Development Programme: o o o ProKit Essex Olympian League County Motor Works Vauxhall Mid Essex League Greene King Essex Veterans League Each league has been awarded Partner League status based on recognition for all their hard work they have put into assisting the County FA by developing their own league panels. Each league has been awarded their own FA plaques. Looking ahead, these leagues will play a key part in the development pathway for match officials. We will now be working with each league on maintaining their status as a Partner League and looking at setting up in-service training throughout next season with their leagues’ panels of match officials. Registrations The registration figure for season 2013/14 is detailed below. As usual, this has been broken down into their respective levels, including the current ‘KPI’ figures which don’t include Level 9 trainee referees: Level 1 2a 2b 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Total 2013/14 3 2 5 22 38 281 140 918 50 208 20 1,687 Level 1 2a 2b 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total KPIs - 2013/14 3 2 5 21 37 272 133 906 49 1,428 This season we processed a total of 884 registrations via the online system. This was largely down to the change in process and the consistent communication from James to encourage everyone to give the online system a chance. Encouragingly, 62.3 % of the total KPI registrations completed the process online, compared with the 327 (21.5%) which was achieved in the previous registration window. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 19 Essex County FA: Annual Report WELFARE, SAFEGUARDING AND RESPECT Helen Hever and Melissa Cowell Protection of Freedom Act (PoFA) This continues to be the biggest topic in the safeguarding arena within football at the moment. The FA continues to advice on developments which are now being shared with clubs. Presentations have been made across a wide sector in football, from youth leagues to clubs to council members, sharing the impact of the changes and, importantly, the steps which need to be taken. The key message is that certain roles must now have a criminal record check. The criteria are balanced between the type of role and how often the individual fulfils it. The FA have given guidance on the football roles which require checking, at grassroots level these are: managers/coaches, assistant managers/coaches, club welfare officers (CWOs), first aiders/physiotherapists, individuals driving transport on behalf of a club (not parents sharing lifts). The Essex County FA are working with stakeholders to support these requirements as there is a shift from them being FA regulations to becoming laws. All club welfare officers are receiving communications, as are club secretaries at certain stages. It is imperative that clubs take action now, where action is required. Online Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Service There has been a very positive growth in the number of youth clubs signed up for DBS checking online - an increase to 225 from 139 last season. We are aiming for all youth clubs to be signed-up for online checks - we still have a way to go but this is a very positive response. The online method is cheaper and quicker and, from the feedback received, it’s popular and easy to use. The Essex County FA receive a few queries relating to IT support, but these can either be rectified internally or signposted to The FA. An online manual is available to support users. Members’ Services With the requirement that certain roles require a DBS check, CWOs must now monitor the safeguarding page on Members’ Services. This is because only a single disclosure is issued, and this goes to the applicant. Therefore, for a club to be assured that an individual can commence their role, the CWO must check on Members’ Services that the check is ‘Accepted’. Completing the online process does not mean that the overall check is complete. Only CWOs will have access to the safeguarding page. Initially there is a need to register and then The FA will issue a password allowing access. Cases The Essex County FA are very fortunate that CWOs take an active part in the safeguarding of children and young people, many of whom are experienced at having been in the role for a few years. Poor practice cases have been dealt with by CWOs, liaising with the County Welfare Officer. The department has established good communications with our local safeguarding colleagues within the statutory agencies (i.e. social services and the police), allowing for efficient and informed risk assessments. Cases such as these remain steady in number and are dealt with in line with FA policy. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 20 Essex County FA: Annual Report DEVELOPMENT Brendan Walshe, Ian Bent, Nick Emery, Gary Piggott, Lana Gillard, Emma Burden, Sean Harris, Andrew Crowl, Luke Hornsley, Emma Willis, Kevin Watts, Sue Hammond, Maryanne Dennis. Education In 2013, support was focused on continuing to develop and strengthen pathways for players to participate in school’ festivals and competitions. There was also more targeted work around supporting the growth of grassroots clubs through the ‘Join Our Club’ programme (formerly Club Links). Futsal continued to gather momentum across the county, and it has proven to be particularly popular in the Group Four area. Teacher Training: Another FA Junior Football Leader Tutor Training Course was delivered to 14 teachers and coaches to enable them to deliver the leadership course to students and young people. There were a significant number of individuals looking to attend the course in moving into 2014. A Secondary Teachers’ Workshop was delivered to 15 teachers, with an emphasis on sharing the ethos of the Youth Award Modules. Join Our Club: The Join Our Club programme continued to be delivered through the areaspecific Football Development Officers (FDOs), with each FDO having their own club links plans to deliver with the aim of more targeted development in local authorities. The programme continued to contribute to an increase in FA Charter Standard Clubs establishing partnerships with local schools. Looking ahead to 2014, there will be an emphasis on establishing long-lasting, sustainable links. Vauxhall Mash-Up Programme: This year saw the introduction of The FA’s new Vauxhall Mash-Up programme, set-up to tackle the drop-off 12-17-year-old players. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 21 Essex County FA: Annual Report The Essex County FA have established 15 centres across the county, engaging over 250 young people. Community Coach, Kevin Watts, has supported a workforce formed of teachers, youth workers, Charter Standard (CS) club volunteers and Young Leaders to deliver across the county. CS clubs are being linked into each centre to offer a pathway into regular weekend football. Futsal in schools has grown significantly, with a notable increase in the number of entries in the County Schools Finals. Due to a change in venue, and targeted promotion through the FDOs, some age groups tripled in size, with the Under 12s, 14s and 16s Boys fully subscribed at 18 teams. Schools, Colleges & Universities: A new College & Community Football Coordinator came into post, focusing on the delivery of intra-college competitions through The FA’s ‘Team 19’ scheme, Mars ‘Just Play’ projects, the development of Young Leaders through student management teams and the Football Futures programme. 2013 saw 39 clubs achieve FA Charter Standard status. 31 were new Charter Standard Clubs (16 Adult Clubs), four were new Development Clubs and there were four new Community clubs. Close working relationships have now been developed with Chelmsford College, Barking & Dagenham College, the Colchester Institute, Havering College, Palmer’s College, Seevic College and South Essex College. The central venue festival model remained in 2013, with an emphasis on a playercentred approach focusing on skill, technique and game play. Each Group Area oversaw a programme of events for boys and girls. These ranged from one-off festivals to regular festivals which ran up to four times per year. Looking ahead, the Football Development Team will be looking to build stronger links with clubs in close proximity to these events, ensuring there are clear exit routes for those players who do not currently play outside of school. The Essex County Schools FA Under 11s County Competitions proved to be a resounding success again in 2013. Fully supported through the school games organiser network and Active Essex, a record number of schools took part in 2013, with all local authorities being represented. The competitions took place at Football Foundation facilities including Colchester United Community Sports Trust and the London Marathon Playing Fields. The County Finals took place at the Arsenal Academy Indoor Dome in February 2014. Clubs In total, the county has 301 Charter Standard clubs, of which 136 are youth clubs, 119 are adult clubs, 18 are Development Clubs and 28 are Community Clubs, resulting in 73.35% of youth and mini-soccer football being played within Charter Standard clubs. In 2013, the Charter Standard ‘Annual Health Check’ process became a focal point of the club development work, with 237 Health Checks completed. There were only six clubs who did not complete the process (three youth, two adult and one development), resulting in 97.5% of the required clubs who did complete it. A decision was also made to bring forward the 2013/14 season Annual Health Checks to be completed by the end of 2013, enabling this process to deliver more reliable data relating to the current provision within each Charter Standard club. The result of this was a total of 227 Health Checks have been completed. This process has also resulted in extensive work being carried out to update The FA’s database of all of the coaches’ qualifications, linking coaches to the teams they work with and giving the Essex County FA and The FA an extensive picture of the volunteer work within the Charter Standard programme. There was a 2013 increase in the number of Charter Standard Leagues within the county as the Colchester & District Youth League became the sixth within Essex to achieve The FA’s quality kitemark award for grassroots leagues. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 22 Essex County FA: Annual Report The current list of Charter Standard Leagues is: Blackwater & Dengie Youth League, Chelmsford & District Sunday Social League, Essex County Girls’ League, Essex Soccability League, Southend & District Junior Sunday League, Colchester & District Youth League. The links to local professional clubs continued to grow in 2013, with regular Charter Standard presentations taking place at Colchester United, Southend United and West Ham United fixtures. The key events which took place in 2013 also included: FA Licensed Coaches’ Club Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Events: In 2013, the Essex County FA once again provided CPD opportunities for members of The FA’s Licensed Coaches’ Club and grassroots coaches. Our volunteer workforce snapped-up the opportunities to develop themselves and add to their experience. A total of 94 people took part in the four events which were held in Chelmsford, Southend, Maldon and Dagenham. Women & Girls o o o o England Football Day, Chelmsford: A total of 279 children (243 boys and 36 girls) within Under 7s, 8s, 9s and 10s teams from local Charter Standard clubs participated, following-up on previous years’ successful events. This year included a taster of various types of 5v5 matches in preparation for the Youth Development Review, skills challenges, coaching with the FA Tesco Skills Coaches and an inflatable fun zone. The day also saw every attendee take away an Essex County FA mini skills ball as a memento of the day. Male Adult Tournament (held in conjunction with the national Sir Bobby Robson Day), Southend: 14 Charter Standard teams entered and the champions (and Fair Play Award winners) were Old Barkabbeyans. Beacon Hill Rovers were runners-up. Female Adult Tournament (held in conjunction with the national Sir Bobby Robson Day), Southend: Ten Charter Standard teams entered. The victors (and Fair Play Award winners) were Barking, with Colchester Athletic as runners-up. Charter Standard Workshops (all group areas): these one-to-one provided clubs interested in achieving CS status with the opportunity to discuss their applications, offering invaluable support. Girls Schools Central Venue Festivals (CVFs), Schools Sessions and Join Our Club: Girls CVFs continue to be very popular in areas of need within Essex. This year saw events take place within primary schools surrounding the Epping Forest/Harlow, Chelmsford, Maldon, Uttlesford, Thurrock, Basildon, Southend and Castle Point. In the north of the county, Girls CVFs have taken place in Tendring and Colchester. The events give girls the opportunity to access local football within their secure school environments. The ideal is that some of these players will take the step into club football. Girls School ‘taster sessions’ were, once again, well-liked in all four group areas, with the Development Team working closely with the FA Tesco Skills Team to ensure quality provision is being delivered within schools. The Development Officers work hard to forge relationships with local clubs who are looking at either developing new girls sections within their set-ups or are aiming to retain their current squads. The year generated positive results from programmes with Colebrook Royals, Rayleigh Girls, Little Oakley, Frinton & Walton and Silver End. In our London Boroughs, three CVFs have continued to provide the foundation for girls’ participation in Barking & Dagenham, Havering and Newham, with Dagenham United, Euro Dagenham, Romford Borough Youth and Royal Falcons linked in as exit routes. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 23 Essex County FA: Annual Report To support this participation, early plans have been put in place to develop an East Section in the Capital Girls’ League which has been existence since the 2011/12 season (the North and West Sections are affiliated to the Middlesex and London County FAs). This would help to create a more local fixture programme for the clubs who offer girls football across the London Boroughs. Female Player Development Centre: This is now in its third season. The technical programme runs sessions once a week over 25 weeks at Shenfield High School in Brentwood. The programme attracts over 150 trialists, with 60 girls being successful in obtaining a place. The programme caters for players in the Under 11s, 13s and 15s age groups who are also involved in a number of festivals throughout the season. The PDC has been introduced in an effort to bridge the gap between Centre of Excellence football and local grassroots teams. Last season the PDC was successful in placing 14 players within a Centre of Excellence. Girls Centre of Excellence (COE): This year saw the Essex County FA step up to provide our elite female players with a home. Sadly, Colchester United Community Sports Trust, who were the initial drivers in ensuring the Girls Centre of Excellence was established back in 1998, went into administration in April. With such a tight turnaround, the County FA felt responsible and wanted to ensure the 60+ players had somewhere to play their football. After initial conversations with both West Ham United and the University of Essex, who were both encouraged to apply for the licence, the Essex County FA submitted an application to apply for the license. Over 15 part time staff were recruited, venues were secured, kits were ordered and fixtures were arranged. The Centre is now running smoothly thanks to the appointment of Sharon Brownlie (previously a Development Officer at the County FA) and we look forward to an exciting future with the programme! Essex County Schools FA Representative Football: The 2012/13 season was a milestone for representative girls football. The Under 16s Girls team cruised the SouthEast England Schools Football Association (SEESFA) League and were undefeated all season. For the first time ever, they were also victorious in the Under 16s English Schools Inter-County Trophy. The girls won against a talented Hampshire side, beating them 3-0 at St Martin’s, and knocked out Sussex in a home fixture, 5-2. The squad played Lancashire in the final on 27th April at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. After a tense 80 minutes of quality football, the girls walked away with a 2-1 win. The Under 14s girls also had a strong season, finishing as runners-up in their SEESFA League competition to a strong Sussex team. The youngsters mirrored the success of the Under 16s, having a great run in the National Cup. Their quarter-final fixture saw them travel away to Surrey and win an exciting match 2-1. In a nail-biting affair, they pinched the game in the dying minutes of extra time. Drawing Lancashire away in the semis sent the team very close to the Blackpool coast! Despite a valiant display of grit and determination, the team were eventually knocked out by a talented Lancashire side, despite taking them to extra time, 4-2. The County FA were felt to be the most appropriate holders for the license by The FA and, as of May 2013, we were running a COE for females in the Under 9s, 11s, 13s, 15s and 17s age groups. Trials took place in June, with a record 180 girls taking part. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 24 Essex County FA: Annual Report Disability Young Leaders The Essex Soccability League continues to grow and we currently have 32 sides playing across the Adult (four divisions), Under 16s and Under 12s sections, with the adult leagues now playing seven-a-side and the youths playing five-a-side. In April 2013, the Essex County FA delivered the annual county Young Leaders Camp at the University of East London’s SportsDock. The camp had over 30 Young Leaders attend a series of workshops including Futsal, the FA Tesco Skills programme and football development. A league committee was elected at the beginning of the 2013/14 season, as were two separate sub-committees for the adult and youth leagues. The league events are now also hosted at central locations, with the adult section’s fixtures taking place at Shrub End in Colchester and the youth festivals at Cedar Hall School in Thundersley. The PowerChair football session is now in its fourth year of delivery, with new players joining each month. The group continues to train each month at Riverside Ice & Leisure Centre in Chelmsford and they now play in the South-East PowerChair Football League whilst promoting the schemes for new players. Finally, Healthy4Life became the Essex County FA’s representatives in the FA Disability Cup for the 2013/14 season. The club were unfortunately knocked out in the Second Round. Secondary Schools Disability Central Venue League: The Soccability CVL was split into a North League and a South League this year. The North division took place with events in Maldon, Colchester (Shrub End) and Chelmsford. The South fixtures were at Powerleague in Fairlop. The festivals engaged over 200 disabled players across the seven meetings, with a quarter of the participants being girls. These festivals have now started to link into local sides, offering the players an opportunity to continue their football participation in a noncompetitive environment. Matt Chester and Ellie Daly, who had previously represented Essex at the 2011 and 2012 National Camps respectively, attended the county camp to share their experiences. At this event, James Daykin (Gable Hall) and Khiran Dingra-Smith (NewVic College) were selected to represent Essex at the National Camp held at St George’s Park. Both found it to be a great experience. James is now leading on the development of the Essex County FA Youth Council and Khiran has progressed to Birmingham University. The Football Futures programme continued with the new tiered level format. Group area FDOs promote the programme to schools and clubs in their area and it had 93 members at the turn of the year, made up of young people from schools and Charter Standard clubs across the county. Over the course of 2013, eight Junior Football Leader courses were delivered through Charter Standard clubs, including Cowley Community, Collier Row, Concord Rangers, FC Clacton and Holland & Clacton Girls. We also delivered in four secondary schools throughout the county: Chase High, Eastbury, Saffron Walden High and Shenfield High. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 25 Essex County FA: Annual Report Small-Sided Small-sided football has continued to grow in 2013, with a number of commercial providers operating across the county and new 3G pitches hosting leagues during offpeak periods. Efforts have continued to ensure all our small-sided providers are affiliating their competitions, and work has been done with the Referee Development Officer to ensure registered referees are aware of unaffiliated providers, plus the consequences of officiating in their leagues. A strong partnership has been formed with Champion Soccer, who are FA Accredited Small-Sided Providers operating nationally. They run a number of successful leagues across Essex and, through the Mars Just Play Fund, we have linked them into Brittons Academy’s ATP and they created a smallsided league of twelve teams. Futsal The establishment of the second FA National Futsal League Club in Essex was another feature of 2013 as Braintree Futsal Club completed their first season in the second tier of the South section. Our other National Futsal League team, Genesis FC, have continued their strong relationship with Rokeby School and are now running a number of well-attended youth Futsal sessions. Sporthouse in Barking remains as another hub for Futsal in the county, with two more England internationals held there during 2013, and the Essex County FA supported these with players escorts and Young Leaders. This facility still hosts the first FA Futsal Fives League in the county. Ten teams continue to compete on a regular basis, including two National League Division One sides. Under 14s Boys National Futsal Champions Eastbury School, from Barking, were selected to represent England at the Futsal World Cup in Sardinia. They will travel out in April 2014 to compete against teams from around the world such as top Futsal nations Brazil, Italy and Spain. Three ‘Beginners Guide to Futsal’ courses were delivered in 2013, upskilling 60 candidates. Many grassroots clubs are now seeing the benefits of Futsal as a winter training tool, and this has seen clusters of clubs come together to play at central venues. One project was led by a group of clubs in the London Boroughs, with grassroots Under 10s teams coming together at the University of East London’s SportsDock. Coaches Coach education courses continued to be very much in demand. Included below is information on the coach and medical education courses held during 2013. 33 - Level 1 Coaching Award 8 - Level 2 Coaching Certificate 2 - Level 1 Goalkeeping Course 0 - Level 2 Goalkeeping Course 8 - FA Youth Award Module 1 3 - FA Youth Award Module 2 28 - Emergency Aid 1 - Basic First Aid for Sport Course The year featured the introduction of £30,000 worth of coach education bursaries at £50 per place towards Level 1, Level 2, Youth Award Module 1 and Module 2 courses. The FA provided £19,000, with the Essex County FA contributing a further £21,000 to increase the overall pot to £30,000. This funding was fully utilised by the end of December 2013. Our Coaching Development Officer has worked across many areas again this year, tutoring many of our courses and supporting other Development Team members in their areas of work. Below is an overview of the year: Tutoring: five Level 1 Coaching Award courses, seven Youth Award Module 1 Courses, one Youth Award Module 2 course, one JFL Tutor Training course, one FA Mentoring Adults course, one Coaching Disabled Footballers Course, delivered one Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) Teachers Day. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 26 Essex County FA: Annual Report Coach Education: Continued monitoring of our coaching programme and liaising with the Regional Coach Development Managers, supporting the tutor workforce. Coach Mentoring: We have held one ‘Mentoring Adults’ course for Charter Standard Clubs this year. Club Coach Workshops: Held two Under 7s coach/manager workshops. FA Licensed Coaches’ Club: We have now tried to signpost the members of the Essex Coaches Association across to the FA Licensed Coaches’ Club. It is far more beneficial for the coaches as there are some excellent online resources on the Licensed Coaches’ Club website. We now liaise with the FA Regional Coach Development Managers to facilitate Continuing Professional Development opportunities for members throughout the year. In 2013, we held five events. We currently have just over 900 coaches from Essex who are members of the Licensed Coaches’ Club. Facilities & Funding Facility development progressed well during 2013. There were a total of four projects submitted for funding in 2013, with the Football Foundation (FF) investing £1.2 million into the improvement of facilities in Essex via projects which had been identified by Essex County FA. Applicant Foundation Funded Total Project Barking Abbey School £579,797 New Full Size 3G Football Turf Pitch £429,797 Robert Clack School £618,435 New Full Size 3G Football Turf Pitch £448,435 Writtle Minors FC TBC TBC New 3G Training Area Thurrock Council and the Thurrock Association Sunday League £345,425 £466,410 New 3G Artificial Grass Pitch £1,223,657 £1,664,642 Total % 74% 73% TBC 74% 74% The figures show there has been significant investment into the county over the past twelve months. As part of this, each project is required to write and implement a detailed football development plan which will lead to increased grassroots participation through the creation of new teams, better players, new coaches and new volunteers. During 2013, The FA launched a National Facilities Strategy. This was developed in conjunction with information gathered from the 84% of respondents to the Big Grassroots Football Survey which identified that the single most pressing issue was that of poor facilities. As a result, The FA commissioned an additional piece of research dedicated to facilities issues. This research targeted a broad range of interests in the game, from players through to ground staff, with over 3,200 responses from across England. The research identified the key priorities for improving grassroots football facilities were: o o o o o Grass Pitches Artificial Grass Pitches Floodlighting Changing Facilities Toilets The FA Facilities Strategy now sets the direction of travel of future investment into football facility projects. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 27 Essex County FA: Annual Report The Standard Code of Rules also changed to enable 3G Football Turf Pitches to be used for competitive, affiliated matches in youth and adult grassroots football. The FA set a framework for the use of 3G for the 2013/14 and 2014/15 seasons. From 2014/15, for a 3G to be used for competitive matches it will need to be on the list of FA-approved 3G Football Turf Pitches. To be added to this list, the pitch will need to undertake, and pass, a pitch performance test to ensure it meets the appropriate standards. In addition to the funding provided by the FF, the Essex County FA has distributed (up to the end of 2013) £1,296,522 from the £1.5 million allocation received from the Essex County Council Olympic Legacy Fund. Grow the Game Funding: The Essex County FA also secured funding through the FF’s ‘Grow the Game’ scheme, which focuses on providing revenue towards the costs associated with providing new football activity (such as kit, equipment, facility hire, coaching qualifications, affiliation fees etc). A £5,000 grant towards the development of at least two new teams was awarded to each of the clubs in the table below during 2013. This secured a total investment into Essex of £95,000 for the development of new teams and participation. Organisation Epping Forest District Council Linford Wanderers FC & Sports Club TFA Loughton YFC Silver End Youth FC Hedinghams United FC Braintree Town YFC Stock United FC Westhamians FC Chelmsford Mencap Stambridge United YFC Collier Row YFC Chigwell Boys FC Benfleet FC Broomfield FC Chelmsford City YFC Cowley Boys FC (Changed To Cowley Community FC for 2013/14) FC Clacton Thundersley Rovers Sports Club ATF Southend YFC Project Description Under 21s Disability, Adult and Under 16s Disability Under 11s Female, Under 10s Female 2 x Under 7s and 2 x Under 8s Mixed 2 x Under 7s Mixed and Under 10s Female Under 8s and Under 9s Mixed 2 x Under 7s Mixed, Under 17s Male and Under 11s Female Under 8s and Adult Men Under 12s and Under 13s Male, Under 7s and Under 15s Male Under 16s Disability and Adult Disability 2 x Under 12s Male and Under 13s Male Under 10s Male and Adult Male Under 7s Mixed and Under 11s Female Under 7s and 2 x Mixed 2 x Under 8s Mixed and Adult Male 4 x Under 7s Boys Under 8s Mixed, Under 13s Male, Adult Male, Under 7s Mixed and Adult Female Under 14s Male, Under 11s Female, Under 16s Female 3 x Under 7s Mixed and Under 10s Mixed Under 16s Male, Under 15s Male 9v9 Goalpost Funding: Following the Youth Development Review consultation, 5v5, 7v7 and 9v9 Goalpost Funding was made available to clubs, leagues, local authorities, parish councils and schools (with community use on-site) to assist with the costs of purchasing goals. A total of 76 applications were received, with each receiving 50% of the cost the goals. Below is a breakdown of the awards made: Number of Applications Football Foundation Funded Total Project Cost 76 £50,205.00 £100,379.34 Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 28 Essex County FA: Annual Report Thurrock GetIntoFootball Project This project was a three-year funded partnership project between the Essex County FA, The FA, Thurrock Council and the Thurrock Association Sunday League. It began in October 2010 and finished in October 2013. The project focused on the Thurrock Local Authority area, with a dedicated GetIntoFootball Officer (GIFO) delivering new football development activity to increase participation in both males and females aged 16 and over. The table below identifies the number of attendances the project had through 2010-2013. These have come from a total of 1,803 different individuals demonstrating the impact the project had in engaging new participants into football activity. The project delivered a number of programmes during its three-year period in the Thurrock area: Attendees Total Number of Individual Male Attendees 1,677 Number of Individual Female Attendees 126 Total Number of Individual Attendees 1,803 Attendances Total Total Number of Attendances 7,844 14-21 Year Olds: o o o Free summer activities and holiday activities organised for 14-21s in the form of smallsided tournaments and Under 16s Futsal opportunities. FA Mars Just Play sessions offering young people aged 16-21 a route back into the game, linking them into local clubs and structured formats. Working with local youth clubs and Thurrock Council Youth Workers to increase participation and support projects including the delivery of Junior Football Leaders Courses. Mars Just Play Centres: This is a specific ‘Turn-Up and Play’ FA programme sponsored by Mars, which targets individuals aged 16+. Flexible formats of affordable football are offered to encourage individuals to return to football. These can vary from structured sessions to ‘Kickabouts’, meeting both the needs of the participants and also the continual changes in lifestyles. o o o Hassenbrook School: engaged 60+ registered participants and 25 weekly attendees. Participants are progressing, with support, to playing Futsal in a league format with set match times. An informal community league was set-up to support the local participation. William Edwards School: engaged 35+ registered participants and 15 weekly attendees. St Clere’s School: engaged 90+ registered participants and 25 weekly attendees. This centre provided an opportunity for participants aged 35+ to progress into the adjoining Veterans League as well as offering small-sided opportunities and club links for those aged 16+. Thurrock Enquirer Business (Small-Sided) League: Building on the success of the male Turn-Up and Play sessions, a Business League was developed. Businesses from Thurrock applied to join a seven-a-side league organised by the GIFO. Ten teams took part, engaging more than 100 players, and the competition was supported by local newspaper the Thurrock Enquirer, who printed fixtures, results and tables. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 29 Essex County FA: Annual Report Thurrock Enquirer Veterans (Small-Sided) League: The veterans’ small-sided league grew from six teams and one division, to eleven teams and two divisions. This progression and development is a result of players aged 35+ returning to the game through Thurrock’s Mars Just Play Centres. This league was also supported by the Thurrock Enquirer newspaper, who provided weekly coverage including fixtures and league tables, as well as promoting cup and tournament events. A variety of formats were organised and run by the GIFO in order to retain and grow participation, including a summer 11v11 league (six teams took part), a League Cup competition and regular ‘round robin’ tournaments. The league engaged over 150 participants on a weekly basis. Partnership Working: A steering group of key partners was set-up to develop the project’s activities, involving Thurrock Council, the Thurrock Association Sunday League, the Thundermite Youth League, the Essex County FA and Active Essex. Links were also made with the Thurrock Sports and Physical Activity partnership. The project received good publicity in the local area, with press articles and videos being posted online and in the printed press. All the participants were provided with information on exit routes into the local football structure, including clubs, teams and leagues. Following the conclusion of the project’s activities, it evolved to a having a wider focus across the county. GetIntoFootball was rebranded nationally by The FA to become the Mars Just Play project, which will begin its delivery in 2014. College & Community Football Coordinator The colleges the College & Community Football Coordinator (CCFC) has been working with include: o o o o o o o Barking & Dagenham College: Delivering male, female and disability Mars Just Play Centres. Created a link between the college and Dagenham United FC. Havering College of Further & Higher Education: Delivering a Disability Just Play Centre and starting a Team 19 programme at the main campus. Colchester Institute: Developing a link with a local school to access better facilities. Seevic College: Delivering male, female and disability Mars Just Play sessions and looking to start the first Disability Team 19 programme. Student Management Team also started. Palmer’s College: Delivering a 13-team seven-a-side Team 19 and male Mars Just Play centre. Also set-up a Student Management Team by taking students from a Junior Football Leaders (JFL) Course run at the college site. South Essex College of Further & Higher Education: Delivered a Team 19 in Southend using the PlayFootball site and organised male and disability Mars Just Play sessions at the Basildon and Thurrock campuses. Chelmsford College: Delivering a Futsal Mars Just Play session which is being run by a Student Management Team identified by a JFL run at the college. Also established a link between the college and Writtle Minors Girls & Ladies FC. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 30 Essex County FA: Annual Report Licensed Mars ‘Just Play’ Centres in Colleges: o o o o o o o Palmer’s College Barking and Dagenham College Seevic College Redbridge College South Essex College (Basildon Campus) Chelmsford College South Essex College There are currently seven licensed Mars Just Play Centres, with 13 sessions running in colleges in Essex. These engage with 287 male participants, 46 female participants and 101 disability participants (10 of whom are female) attending overall. Team 19 Leagues in Essex Colleges (Registered on the Team 19 Website): o o o o Palmers College Seevic College Havering College Colchester Institute There are currently 17 small-sided male college football teams taking part in recreational Team 19 Leagues. Football Futures: There are currently over 40 registered Young Leaders signed-up to the Essex County FA Football Futures Programme from the colleges involved in the CCFC programme, with 25 of these leaders actively volunteering at local clubs in the community or within their college. FA TESCO SKILLS In 2013, Essex’s FA Tesco Skills Team delivered coaching to 56,761 children in the county. These programmes offered free coaching in primary schools and FA Charter Standard clubs. All this work was carried out in School Sports Partnerships in the following areas: Tendring, Colchester, Braintree, Maldon, Chelmsford, Uttlesford, Harlow, Epping, Brentwood, Rochford, Southend, Thurrock, Barking & Dagenham, Waltham Forest, Havering, Redbridge. The programme was delivered to 60 different schools, with resources left for teachers and exit routes offered via Skills Centres or local opportunities within clubs. It has also celebrated achieving a Quality Mark from the Association for Physical Education (afPE) for outstanding delivery in schools. FA Tesco Skills launched online resources, which are available for all to use at www.thefa.com/tescoskills. These include examples of short and medium term plans which are readily available to be used across varied areas such as passing, dribbling, defending etc. As well as the free schools and club programmes, FA Tesco Skills has provided further opportunities for children to develop through the eight Skills Centres which operate across the county, with one dedicated as a ‘Futsal only’ centre and another being a ‘Skills Extra’ centre for advanced players. In total, FA Tesco Skills reached out to 1,057 players throughout 2013. 43 clubs accepted the offer of free coaching, either through pre-arranged medium term programmes or one-off ventures for their 5-11-year-old boys and girls. Altogether, this meant working with 53 teams. This also included 3,069 through festivals days and 1,252 places through free half term events across the county. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 31 Essex County FA: Annual Report PRESS AND PUBLICITY Our main publicity asset is still our website, although social media streams (primarily Twitter then Facebook) are quickly becoming more prominent to highlight the past and present activities, and key objectives, of grassroots football. Social media is an incredible way of interacting instantly with stakeholders at a time when news and information moves more quickly, is more ‘disposable’ and is expected straight away. During 2013, we took the decision to stop publishing 4,500 hard copies of our six-monthly ‘RowZ’ Magazines as we recognised that they were no longer serving their purpose and were dated. It’s our duty to ensure we allocate funds efficiently and in the best interests of our members. Notable landmarks from 2013 included: o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o maintained an ever-evolving website, comfortably improving ten like-on-like monthly figures in comparison to 2012 and achieving new monthly and daily records produced news stories each week for local/national newspapers, magazines, radio stations and websites accelerated the use of social networking - especially Twitter and Facebook - and used them to disseminate information whilst interacting with stakeholders overseen the publication of County and Schools Handbooks for 2013/14 and published them online continued to issue an E-Mail newsletter appeared on radio stations to speak on a number of subjects aligned targets with the FA National Game and Essex County FA strategies enhanced the thriving Squad Booster brand for player and volunteer recruitment used audio equipment to add an extra dimension to news items and other publicity published monthly ‘Gazettes’ to update internal staff, council members and affiliated competitions liaised with other County Football Associations to identify best practice travelled the county to report on stories, matches and events supported charity events with donations for raffles etc organised a VIP trip to the FA Community Shield for Volunteers/Websites of the Year portrayed local and national news stories internally increased the reach for general media releases formulated press statements in reaction to specific incidents or events generated revenue for the Benevolent Fund through online photo sales supported the visits of football enthusiasts to peruse archive publications assisted when the national media were looking for a base to cover a local story supported regular stakeholder surveys Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 32 Essex County FA: Annual Report AWARDS Website of the Year Awards FA 50-Year Service Award Club: Dunmow Rhodes YFC (www.dunmowrhodesfc.co.uk) Richard ‘Dicky’ Brooks, Donald Hay, Tommy Walker. Award of Merit (40 Years) Terry King, Tony Hoskins. League: Colchester & District Sunday League (www.colchestersundayleague.co.uk) FA Community Awards presented by McDonald’s Outstanding Service Award (30 Years) Gordon Bangs, David Barley, Alan Bramble, David Clarke, Ernie Clarke, Donald Clift, Paul Deller, Wayne Deller, Barry Fitzgerald, John Fothergill, Charlie Francis, Barry Guymer, Nick Janes, Graham Monk, Alan Shrosbree, Stephen Smith, Barry Vernon, Geoff Williams. People’s Choice Award (Outstanding Contribution to Community Football): Clive Draper (Galleywood FC) Charter Standard Community Club Award: Beacon Hill Rovers FC Charter Standard Development Club Award: Euro Dagenham FC Exemplary Service Award (20 Years) Charter Standard Club Award: Broomfield FC Bob Ambrose, Alec Berry, Paul Blackwell, Stuart Bookey, Steve Carter, Kevin Curran, Kerry Fairless, Richard Groves, Neil Huntingdon, Colin Overall, Paul Sutton, Noel Thompson, Julian Ware-Lane, Gary White. Charter Standard League Award: Southend & District Junior League Volunteer of the Year Award: James Broughall (Plantation YFC) Long Service Award (10 Years) Paul Batt, Graham Bellingham, Brian Brazier, Mike Burchett, Kim Farmer, Stephen Furby, Ian Gandy, Mark Holmes, Ian Jeffrey, Richard Joughin, Antony Owen, Roy Ricks, Paul Sisson, Stuart Smith, Michael Standley, Stephen Stout, Brian Townsend, Craig Johnson, Glenn Webb. Youth Fair Play Award Halstead Town Under 14s Young Volunteer of the Year Award: Adnan Ako (Dagenham United YFC) Coach of the Year Award: Lee Butler (Leigh Ramblers YFC) FA Carlsberg Referee Awards Outstanding Contribution to Refereeing: David Duffett Referee Award for Outstanding Performance and Contribution: Stephen Moore Volunteer of the Year Awards Matthew Clare (Plantation & Spartak Girls FC), Andy Rutter (Broomfield FC), Geoff Smith (Hawkwell Athletic FC), Paul Smith (Southend Manor Ladies FC), Alan Soutar (Dunmow Rhodes YFC), Jamie Wright (Chigwell Boys YFC). Groundsman of the Year Outstanding Contribution to Refereeing from a Local Partner League involved with National Referee Development Pathway: Bob Hurrell Outstanding Contribution to Refereeing in a Development Setting: Craig Pullen Outstanding Contribution to Refereeing from Volunteers: Alan Friend Brian Terry (Old Chelmsfordians FC) Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 33 Essex County FA: Annual Report SCHOOLS Despite the huge disruption caused by the weather, it has been an eventful and successful season once again for Essex. Finally, we thank the following for their help during the season: o The county teams have had mixed fortunes this season. The Under 14s Boys and Under 16s Girls, both reached the finals of their respective national competitions. The Under 14s Boys went down 2-1 to a very strong Merseyside schools team whereas the Under 16s Girls team were successful with a 2-1 win over Lancashire. Congratulations to these sides - to reach the final is a great achievement and to win the national title is an even greater one. Inter-District football saw five Primary District Associations and nine Secondary District Associations taking part in our competitions. A total of 29 teams played in the four secondary age competitions. Despite the issues with the weather, the leagues were completed in time for the Semi-Finals and finals to take place. Congratulations to all the associations who were successful in winning their respective leagues. o o o o The Under 11s Finch League again saw only five teams competing this season - playing a total of 19 games - with Barking & Dagenham emerging as league winners in the last time this competition will be played in an 11v11 format. It will be a 9v9 competition next year. Last season’s winners, Thurrock, finished as runners-up. It was good to see the return of Basildon Primary Schools at this level after an absence of over 20 years. Individual schools competitions again attracted huge numbers of teams taking part. All of the finals were completed before the end of the season and our thanks go to everyone involved for their huge efforts in making this possible. This includes team managers, referees and competition organisers. Arsenal FC, Colchester Borough Council, Thurrock FC, Chigwell School, Grays Athletic FC, West Ham United FC, Marconi Sports & Social Club, St Martin’s School, Brentwood School, the Grange Farm Trust, Old Chelmsfordians FC, Old Parkonians FC, Wadham Lodge Sports Ground, Beacon Hill Rovers FC and the London Playing Fields Society. All of these have made their facilities available to us during the season. All Competition Secretaries, Team Managers and Physiotherapists who have done so much work during the course of the campaign. Barry Poulton, Joe Sansom, James Lisher and Wayne Deller for organising match officials throughout the season. Phil Sammons and all his staff at the Essex County FA for their help in so many ways during the course of the year - particularly in the production of matchday programmes and in the organisation of our Under 11s Seven-a-Side competitions. Mike Spinks (Chairman), Graham Hall (Vice-Chairman), Jeff Saxton (Past Chairman) and Dave Playford (Past Secretary) for their continued support. The most striking aspect about the Essex County Schools FA is the supportive and hardworking group of individuals who give up so much of their time to provide so many excellent footballing opportunities and experiences for the youngsters at the schools within the county. With a volunteer team of around 40 people fulfilling various roles - from Committee Members to Team Managers to Competition Secretaries - we have probably the best county schools organization in the country. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 34 Essex County FA: Annual Report District Competitions 2012/13 Under 15s Robert Johnson Cup Newham Barking & Dagenham North-West Essex Waltham Forest Chelmsford & Mid Essex Redbridge P W D 3 3 0 3 2 1 4 2 0 4 2 0 3 1 1 5 0 0 L F A GD Pts 0 10 2 8 9 0 10 6 4 7 2 10 5 5 6 2 8 10 -2 6 1 8 5 5 4 5 6 24 -18 0 Semi-Finals: Newham 5-2 Waltham Forest, North-West Essex 0-3 Barking & Dagenham. Final: Newham 2-2 Barking & Dagenham (after extra time, trophy shared) (at Grange Farm, Chigwell), Friday 17th May 2013. Referee: Barry Poulton, Assistant Referees: Jamie Scanes and Alex Mullett. Under 14s Jas T Clark Cup Havering Barking & Dagenham Thurrock Newham Redbridge Waltham Forest P W D L F A GD Pts 4 4 0 0 10 2 8 12 4 3 1 0 19 7 12 10 5 2 3 0 17 5 12 9 7 2 1 4 10 12 -2 7 6 2 1 3 10 16 -6 7 5 1 2 2 7 9 -2 5 Semi-Finals: Newham 2-2 Havering (after extra time, Newham won on penalties), Thurrock 0-2 Barking & Dagenham. Final: Barking & Dagenham 4-1 Newham (at Chigwell School), Tuesday 14th May 2013. Referee: Barry Poulton, Assistant Referees: Mick McMullen and Naim Guner. Under 13s HJ Welsh Shield Havering Thurrock Newham Waltham Forest Redbridge Barking & Dagenham P W D L F A GD Pts 5 4 1 0 17 5 12 13 5 3 2 0 8 4 4 11 5 3 1 1 22 2 20 10 5 3 0 2 21 9 12 9 6 1 1 4 4 23 -19 4 4 0 1 3 7 15 -8 1 Semi-Finals: Newham 4-0 Thurrock, Havering 1-2 Waltham Forest. Final: Waltham Forest 3-2 Newham (at Wadham Lodge), Tuesday 21st May 2013. Referee: Barry Poulton, Assistant Referees: Russell Thomas and Naim Guner. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 35 Essex County FA: Annual Report Under 12s LF Birmingham Cup P W D Thurrock 7 5 1 Havering 7 4 2 Waltham Forest 7 3 1 Redbridge 7 2 2 Barking & Dagenham 5 2 1 Chelmsford & Mid Essex 6 2 1 L 1 1 3 3 2 3 F A GD Pts 20 11 9 16 13 7 6 14 18 17 1 10 13 15 -2 8 11 9 2 7 10 9 1 7 Semi-Finals: Redbridge 2-1 Thurrock (after extra time), Havering 2-0 Waltham Forest. Final: Havering 2-0 Redbridge (at Chigwell School), Friday 17th May 2013. Referee: Scott Tappin, Assistant Referees: Matthew Friend and Alex Mullett. Under 11s FL Finch Shield P W D L F A GD Pts Barking & Dagenham 8 7 1 0 38 5 +33 22 Thurrock 8 2 4 2 13 15 -2 10 Havering 7 2 2 3 9 9 0 8 Basildon 8 2 2 4 7 26 -19 8 Redbridge 7 1 1 5 14 26 -12 4 Winners: Barking & Dagenham. Runners-Up: Thurrock. Under 11s Seven-a-Side Winners: Barking & Dagenham. Runners-Up: Thurrock (at May & Baker Social Club), Saturday 17th November 2012. Referee: Peter Duggins. Individual Schools Competitions 2012/13 Bryon Coomer Under 19s Colleges Trophy Colne Community College 7-1 Barking Abbey (at AFC Sudbury), Wednesday 13th March 2013. Referee: Dean Welham, Assistant Referees: Aaron Farmer and James Beal. 2nd XI Under 19s Colleges Cup Chelmsford College 6-1 Clacton Coastal Academy (at Boots & Laces, Southend-on-Sea), Wednesday 20th March 2013. Referee: David Axcell, Assistant Referees: Guy Pell-Ilderton and Richard Ager. 3rd XI Under 19s Colleges Cup Campion 3-1 Futures College (at Canvey Island FC), Wednesday 20th March 2013. Referee: Martin Osborne, Assistant Referees: Ian Angus-Felton and Sam Wigington. RH Pratt Under 19s Cup Shenfield High 1-0 Harris Academy (at Grays Athletic FC), Thursday 16th May 2013. Referee and Assistant Referees provided by the Thurrock Referees Society. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 36 Essex County FA: Annual Report Alan Child Under 16s Trophy Marshalls Park 0-0 Shenfield High (after extra time, trophy shared) (at AFC Hornchurch), Tuesday 16th April 2013. Referee: Joseph Gray, Assistant Referees: Jamie Scanes and Billy Taylor. Reg Winters Under 16s Trophy King John 2-1 Frances Bardsley (at Old Chelmsfordians FC), Thursday 9th May 2013. Referee: Kyle Simmons. Assistant Referees: Denis Angell and Charlie Bruce. Robert Cook Under 15s Cup Brentwood School 2-1 Gilberd (at Thurrock FC), Thursday 2nd May 2013. Referee: Gary Waplington, Assistant Referees: Alexander Haynes and Joe Aldborough. Alf E Wood Jubilee Under 14s Cup Stanway 3-0 Trinity (at Old Chelmsfordians FC), Tuesday 7th May 2013. Referee: Benjamin Figg, Assistant Referees: Samuel Laidler and Sam Marsh. George Cash Under 14s Trophy Eastwood 3-2 Greensward (at Old Parkonians FC), Thursday 25th April 2013. Referee: Damian Partis, Assistant Referees: Anthony Koczan and Timothy Waterhouse. Chairman’s Under 13s Trophy Chingford 3-2 Emerson Park (at Grange Farm, Chigwell), Friday 24th May 2013. Referee: Alex Mullett, Assistant Referees: Barry Poulton and Jamie Scanes. John Edwards Under 13s Trophy Highams Park 2-2 Shenfield High (after extra time, trophy shared) (at Old Parkonians FC), Thursday 25th April 2013. Referee: Alexander Haynes, Assistant Referees: Ryan Crouch and Sean Fox. Ken Aston Under 12s Trophy Southend High 2-1 Harris Academy (at Arsenal FC Academy Ground, Walthamstow), Monday 29th April 2013. Referee: Scott Tappin, Assistant Referees: Barry Poulton and Grant Moody. Parish Under 11s Cup Plumberow 2-0 Lincewood (at Marconi Sports Ground, Chelmsford), Wednesday 22nd May 2013. Referee: George Cook. Jim Smith Under 11s Memorial Cup St Thomas of Canterbury 2-0 Lee Chapel (at Marconi Sports Ground, Chelmsford), Wednesday 12th June 2013. Referee: Adam Arthur. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 37 Essex County FA: Annual Report Malcolm Moffatt Under 11s Seven-a-Side Trophy Winners: Shenfield St Mary’s, Runners-Up: Bournes Green (at Arsenal FC Academy Ground, Walthamstow), Thursday 8th February 2013. Referee: Chris McGovern. Girls Under 11s Seven-a-Side Trophy Winners: Bournes Green, Runners-Up: Moulsham Junior (at Arsenal FC Academy Ground, Walthamstow), Monday 5th February 2013. Referee: Lee Markwick. Small Schools Under 11s Trophy Winners: Rickling Church of England Primary (North-West Essex), Runners-Up: Mountnessing Primary (Chelmsford & Mid Essex) (at Beacon Hill Rovers FC), Thursday 18th October 2012. Referees: Gary Duffy, Paul Hever, Lee Markwick and Chris McGovern. Under 19s Colleges Leagues Division One P W D L F A Shenfield 18 14 0 4 60 31 Palmer’s 17 12 2 3 51 28 Colne 18 12 1 5 73 39 Havering VI Form 18 9 5 4 47 30 Rushcroft 17 9 4 4 62 29 Barking Abbey 17 9 1 7 77 45 Colchester Victoria 16 5 0 11 42 55 South Essex 16 5 0 11 34 49 Havering College 18 2 1 15 26 75 Redbridge 17 2 0 15 18 107 GD Pts 29 42 23 38 34 37 17 32 33 31 32 28 -13 15 -15 15 -49 7 -89 6 Division Two North Plume Westcliff High Colchester Institute Maltings Academy Colne Chelmsford Clacton Consortium South Essex Southend High Colchester Victoria P W D L 18 15 1 2 18 14 3 1 17 7 3 7 16 7 3 6 17 6 4 7 17 7 1 9 17 7 0 9 17 4 5 8 15 2 4 9 16 2 2 12 F 78 70 36 34 38 36 32 22 25 24 A 32 13 37 37 42 47 33 44 45 65 GD Pts 46 46 57 45 -1 24 -3 24 -4 22 -11 22 -1 21 -22 17 -20 10 -41 8 Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 38 Essex County FA: Annual Report Division Two South P South Essex 20 Davenant 18 Sir George Monoux 20 Leyton 19 West Hatch 20 Barking Abbey 17 Palmer’s 15 Seevic 16 King John 17 Rushcroft 15 W D L 15 1 4 13 0 5 12 2 6 12 1 6 8 6 6 9 0 8 6 1 7 4 3 9 2 6 9 1 3 11 F 46 57 51 53 44 53 21 21 31 12 A GD Pts 31 15 46 34 23 39 30 21 38 33 20 37 46 -2 30 33 20 27 28 -7 19 56 -35 15 43 -12 12 32 -20 6 Division Three North P W D L F A GD Pts 12 11 0 1 31 13 18 33 12 9 1 2 37 17 20 28 11 6 2 3 18 17 1 20 11 5 1 5 21 21 0 16 10 3 1 6 12 18 -6 10 11 1 1 9 21 33 -12 4 11 0 2 9 7 28 -21 2 Futures South Essex Shoeburyness Westcliff High Braintree Colchester Victoria Chelmsford Division Three South Campion St Bonaventure’s Brampton Manor Leyton Havering West Hatch Palmer’s P W D L 11 9 1 1 12 8 3 1 11 6 2 3 11 4 2 5 9 4 0 5 8 1 0 7 10 0 0 10 F 35 40 22 37 14 10 8 A GD Pts 7 28 28 18 22 27 20 2 20 22 15 14 15 -1 12 40 -30 3 44 -36 0 Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 39 Essex County FA: Annual Report CLOSING REMARKS We pay tribute and send our condolences to the many families who have lost their loved ones during the year who had served grassroots football and will be greatly missed by us all. Death is always tragic. But to pass away in early life, some would say seems more tragic. We, therefore, make special mention of Steve Perrin who passed away from Meningitis at the age of 20. Steve played his football in the Thurrock Association Sunday League for Sparks FC. It’s been another year of trials and tribulations, of success and disappointment, but hopefully the hunger and desire to play the game remains! At grassroots level we must try to maintain the thought of what the cliché says… “It’s only a game.” Regards, Phil Sammons Chief Executive and Company Secretary Agenda Item 4: To consider and, if thought fit, pass, as a special resolution, the amendments to the Articles of Association of the Essex County Football Association Limited. Article Number 70 107 Amendment Line 1: Delete: “The person appointed as a director............ for four years. To now read: “Notwithstanding any provision in the Articles to the contrary, a resolution to effect the following shall be effective only with the consent in writing of The Football Association and without such consent shall not do or cause to be done any of the following: (i) the amendment, or removal, or the alteration of the effect of (which for the avoidance of doubt, shall be taken to include the ratification of any breach of) all or any of these Articles; or (ii) These articles. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 40 Essex County FA: Annual Report ESSEX COUNTY FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION LTD ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING to be held on Thursday 5th June 2014 at 7:30pm ESSEX RECORD OFFICE, WHARF ROAD, CHELMSFORD, ESSEX, CM2 6YT ADMISSION SLIP Admit ................................................................................................... Representative of ............................................................................... (Association League, Competition or Club) Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 41 Essex County FA: Annual Report ESSEX COUNTY FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION LIMITED PROXY FORM 1. Name of Member: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2. I/We hereby appoint the Chairman of the Meeting: (please tick) □ or the following person: Name of Proxy: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Alternate Proxy (if required): …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. as proxy to exercise all or any of my / our rights to attend, speak and vote on my / our behalf at the Annual General Meeting of the Essex County Football Association Limited to be held on Thursday 5 June 2014 and at any adjournment thereof. 3. I/we would like the proxy to vote the resolution (s) proposed at the AGM as indicated on this form. Unless otherwise instructed, the proxy may vote as he or she sees fit or abstain in relation to any business at the meeting. Agenda Item 1 FOR / AGAINST / VOTE WITHHELD (delete as appropriate) Agenda Item 2 FOR / AGAINST / VOTE WITHHELD (delete as appropriate) Agenda Item 3 FOR / AGAINST / VOTE WITHHELD (delete as appropriate) Agenda Item 4 FOR / AGAINST / VOTE WITHHELD (delete as appropriate) 4. Signed: ………………………………………………………….. Date: ………………………………………………………… Name & Address: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… If appointing a proxy, you must complete this form and return it by post to the Essex County FA Office or E-Mail a scanned version to info@essexfa.com by 7:00pm on Tuesday 3rd June 2014. Website: www.essexfa.com, Twitter: @EssexCountyFA, Facebook: EssexFootball 42