11 A-SIDE

NEWPORT CITY RISING

Matt Fletcher-Jones travels to South Wales to meet Newport City Ladies coach Phil Butler - a magnanimous manager on a mission to take his club to the Premier League.

Spytty Park, Newport, South Wales. Home to big Tesco, Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales, Dragon Park - the FAW’s Development Centre, and Newport City FC.

The location of Newport City’s home ground is prescient to their women’s team’s coach and founder Phil Butler. The FAW’s Development Centre is where in 2009 Phil took his UEFA C Licence under the tutelage of a young Development Officer by the name of James Rowberry. As we speak thirteen years later, Phil is manager of the only women’s team in the city, while a few miles away Rowberry has become Newport County’s new manager in EFL League Two.

County themselves used to play “down Spytty” when they were battling their way back into the Football League, having been relegated and gone out of business in the late ’80s. Phil and Newport City Ladies share the same fighting spirit. As Phil explains, despite having their home

"You’ve got girls who’ve come back to football after fifteen years and those who’ve played since they were seven alongside absolute beginners"

in the shadow of Welsh football’s world-renowned Development Centre, “there’s no interaction with Dragon Park as the grassroots game has very little money in Wales”. Fortunately, there’s some smart brains at work at the club.

The name Newport City FC only came into being in the last decade. Llanwern FC, linked with the city’s steelworks, was rebranded. A bold move which raised the club’s profile and led to Phil getting the call to set up a women’s section.

This wasn’t his first rodeo. Having left the army in 2003, Phil took his skills as an operating department practitioner to the NHS. In his spare time he helped make Villa Dino FC a force in Newport and set up their first girls’ team. With his kids having grown up, Phil Butler thought his time in the South Wales grassroots game was done, but a football man through and through, he couldn’t resist the opportunity to do it all over again. Newport City Ladies was born.

“We started with nine players, including my daughter, and began a social media campaign, as well as involving the ‘Women of Newport’ project to bring more women and girls to the club,” says Phil as we talk on a typically drizzly Newport night. “Word got around and it became self-fulfilling.”

The club took off and grew a strong girls’ section, with the Under 16s team winning the league in their first season, although financial challenges remained off the pitch. “The women conceded a last-minute equaliser in the Cup. We couldn’t afford to pay for the pitch for extra-time too, so we went straight to penalties. And lost the shootout.” From the edge in Phil’s voice you can hear the manager in him still hasn’t got over that one. Yet, bigger challenges were to come.

“In 2019 we were halfway through our first full women’s season and then Covid properly hit us for six.” The grassroots game ground to a halt and many teams are still recovering from the pandemic’s impact. Newport City Ladies’ youth section was particularly hit, yet the two senior women’s teams have risen again.

“Everyone came back,” says Phil with pride. And with focus shifting to the two women’s teams, further success could be on the horizon with both sides having good seasons in their respective leagues, the Ardal South East and the South Wales Women’s and Girls’ League.

The impact of Covid-19 has tempered expectations a little, especially as Welsh women’s football has effectively only just restarted again after another pandemic-induced stoppage. Phil is understandably cautious. “You can’t think too far ahead. This should be year three of a five-year plan to be a Premier League club. In reality it’s year one, but the girls are flying.”

Regardless of results, Phil, who also somehow finds the time to manage the men’s reserve team, is most animated when talking about the women’s players’ character and commitment. “You’ve got girls who’ve come back to football after fifteen years and those who’ve played since they were seven alongside absolute beginners. We’ve even got a forty-five-year-old and her twin daughters in the same team.”

After nearly twenty years in the grassroots game, Phil is far from a man set in his ways and quickly admits that coaching women’s teams has changed his way of doing things on and off the pitch. “It’s made me a much better coach. I’ve learned the need to communicate in a different way, with the women preferring visual guidance and to be verbally reassured. It’s just as enjoyable as coaching the men, if not more so.”

And off the pitch? “The women’s teams want social interaction. They want to get on. I thought the days of being dragged to the pub after games were over!”

The team spirit and that of the community around Newport City Ladies is rising, and the crowds are growing at their matches, but with money tight, they aren’t getting the chance to play regularly at Spytty Park’s Newport Stadium. Instead, they’re exiled to Newport High School across the city in Bettws. Sponsors have been quick to support women’s football in the town, but backing from the Council could really help the club’s push for Premier League football.

“If we could play in Newport Stadium, we’d get a crowd,” says Phil. “We’re the only ladies’ team in Newport and want to remain the biggest.”

Up the City. TGP

WET, WINDY & AFC FYLDE

Alan Bond went to see AFC Fylde Women take on one of England’s great footballing institutions. Grassroots characters, wild elements and a crucial last minute winner awaited.

WET, WINDY & AFC FYLDE

It's Thursday afternoon and the phone rings. I’m making a cup of tea downstairs. “Am I okay to call you back at five?” I ask. Jenny Rigby, General Manager of AFC Fylde is on the line.

The signal upstairs is rubbish, too. It’s not the ideal introduction when looking for some background on a side who are punching above their weight at the top end of the FA Women’s National League.

Just over a week later and I’m in the drive-thru at the KFC in Wesham before heading towards the M6. Signal is no issue here. The club badge of the Coasters shines on in the near distance at the brand new state-of-the-art facility at Mill Farm, home of the AFC Fylde men’s team who have come within touching distance of the Football League in recent times.

I’m spending the afternoon just a couple of miles away at the club’s original home, Kellamergh Park, where the men’s team spent years climbing the non-league steps. My senses couldn’t be more alive; I’m looking forward to being treated to a proper afternoon of football by another team at the club who are aiming to follow the same path.

I arrive at the ground just under an hour before kick-off between AFC Fylde Women and Nottingham Forest Women. Located beneath the Birley Arms Hotel, Kellamergh Park is a tucked away destination down a gravel path with goals and a patch of grass beside it, ideal for a training area. Smartly painted in white and blue, signage sits behind the turnstiles and entrances. It's tranquil here and as I get out of the car I notice the surrounding farmland.

Waiting to greet me is a man whose name I don’t yet know. He tells me that Jenny - in typical volunteer style - will be milling about the several locations behind the nearest goal and the side where the covered stand is situated.

I meet Jenny through the window of the club shop, laughing about the failed phone calls last week before she fills me in on the history of the club’s women’s side who compete in Tier 3.

Ten years ago, the amalgamation of the Kirkham Town and Wesham teams formed the club as we know it today. As part of his vision, owner David Haythornthwaite acquired a women’s team from the club in 2016 after they were previously at Preston North End. The team consists of a group of players who have largely been together through thick and thin.

The togetherness here is clear to see. The mother of goalkeeper Ellie Etheridge enquires about signed photographs of her daughter. They are on their way. It’s a beautiful thought which highlights the detailed touches in the merchandise made available by the club.

I’m introduced to joint-manager Kim Turner, who is partly responsible for fighting to keep the team alive when Covid threatened

"I feel nourished. Not just from the tuna and beef rolls but from the volunteers and personalities I have met today"

its existence, and then I go for a wander around the perimeter of the ground as music starts to play from the tannoy. This might still be deemed grassroots level but it's clear to see that both the standards and atmosphere are professional.

Both teams are in full club uniform. Nottingham Forest are armed with a large backroom team including analysis. Both sides’ goalkeeper coaches are making their players work in the muddy goalmouths as supporters begin to gather around the pitch in front of the watching sheep in nearby fields.

AFC Fylde Women are grassroots through and through. They are competing in a division against Burnley, Wolves, Derby County and today's opponents. Huge footballing institutions. Yet the players are not paid and, in true amateur spirit, they wash their individual sets of shorts and socks. That will be a job in itself after today.

On loan from Manchester City, seventeen-year-old Etheridge wears the No.1 for AFC Fylde.

Confident and technical, she looks focused and switched on. Today she is facing a side who her parent club drubbed 8-0 in the FA Cup just a few weeks ago. A sign of the gulf, despite being only two leagues below, it's always nice to see a young player plying their trade in the lower leagues.

I’m searching to get a sense of how up for it the teams are in these conditions. AFC Fylde are in the mood. I can see it through the demanding standards of their passing drills.

I catch eyes with the club photographer Nigel Broster and he is straight over, full waterproof gear and camera in hand. Again, it’s a warm greeting. We chat about yesterday's defeat for the men’s team and a stonewall penalty that was turned away before attention quickly turns to the importance of today and a chance to go top of the league.

I’m still observing the Fylde team as they wait in anticipation for their opposition to show from the dressing room. It’s an early psychological play. Midfielder Hannah Forster is ready to lead her troops to battle. You can feel that this team knows what the reward will be.

My first glimpse of joint-manager Danielle Young is through seeing her give a passionate last rallying cry as she makes her way across the pitch and towards the dugout.

As the teams finally walk out and undergo the formalities, the referee blows for kick-off. I go back towards the tea hut and notice a lady move away from the window. It’s Catherine, another lovely personality. She tells me the role the club plays in her life as Mick Woods, the man who let me in, joins the conversation. There’s a real sense of warmth here.

The match is tense. Both teams struggle to gain a foothold of the game. AFC Fylde right-back Hannah Fryer looks to get forward as much as possible. She’s in a duel with Forest winger Tamara Wilcock, a constant outlet.

With chances few and far between, a fifty-fifty between Forster and Nottingham Forest left-back Charlotte Greengrass sees both players in need of medical attention.

Forster, although sometimes giving the ball away, never shies away from possession. Her bravery is key to her team in a match of such significance. Rising from the deck, she rolls her shin pad sleeve and sock back up, playing on.

As the teams go back into the changing rooms for the break, the hosts’ management duo Turner and Young stay out. They are letting their players have their moment whilst taking stock themselves. Just before they follow the players into the tunnel, substitute Alex Taylor is called to get ready. AFC Fylde have lost their captain.

Turner tells me that the message during the break was to “do the basics better”. Then, just a minute after the restart, the visitors take

"Football isn’t about yesterday, it's about today"

the lead through Rachel Brown.

Watching the second-half from the hospitality cabin due to the adverse weather, there’s an astute calmness from the AFC Fylde dugout on the far side.

But things are about to change. Jenny arrives in the cabin and she’s just in time to see the equaliser as striker Faye McCoy heads home Laura Mellin’s free-kick from the left. We all celebrate in our own way.

As the scoreboard enters ninety minutes, AFC Fylde are awarded a corner. The ball rattles the bar, bouncing around. Amy Hughes, on as a sub, has stretched a leg out enough to divert the ball over the line. All the AFC Fylde players and staff pile into the dugout. There’s no VAR here and it feels so good to see a team go top of the league like this.

Nigel bursts in. “Have a look at that then,” he says, showing me the money shot of the celebrations. He’s already been given permission to use them. Soon after the players chance for us to move towards that.”

As I get ready to leave, I feel nourished. Not just from the tuna and beef rolls but from the volunteers and personalities I have met today.

AFC Fylde, a club who are the only team to have won both the FA Vase and FA Trophy, are continuing to write their own story. Today’s heroes will play in a semi-final next week.

Mick leaves me with a quote, one which resonates as the door shuts on a magical afternoon in Lancashire: “Football isn’t about yesterday, it's about today.”

Patience and a keen fighting spirit have shone through for Kim Turner and Danielle Young’s brave unit today. The volunteers’ duties are done until next time. And one thing is for sure: with their common language and collective trust, AFC Fylde Women will get there. TGP

are flooding in and he’s showing them, too. Everyone is buzzing. It's a beautiful moment.

I grab a couple of minutes with Turner before she heads off for a deserved pint. We talk about the Academy which will be coming into the club next year, and what that will mean for the grassroots scene.

“We talk a lot here about common language,” Turner tells me. “We’ve been very strict about how we play in a framework and basic principles. It brings out a collective trust in the unit.

“The weather meant the local teams weren’t here today but normally they're here as our mascots, putting flags up and supporting us. We want to tap into them and inspire local Fylde players. The Academy means we can start raising participation levels in the area.

“We are top of the league tonight and we’ve talked a lot about bringing silverware into this club. We have a semi-final next week and that's a big

HOW TO RUN: A GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL CLUB

Starting a grassroots team is tough. There are so many elements to consider. Here’s our guide to getting started, with a little help from those who have

Grassroots football has an army

of volunteers like no other. Setting up and running a team is hard, but anything that is truly worthwhile always is. Managing the communication, availability, kit, equipment and finances and the twenty different needs, requirements and commitment of a squad is no mean feat. But what can be created can be truly beautiful and there aren’t many things that pull people together and are as satisfying as ensuring the physical, mental and social benefits of a group of mates each weekend and watching it grow.

It’s not easy, but we want to make it easier for those that have entertained the idea, and support those that are finding it tough. We are grassroots managers ourselves, and we have spoken with four teams that are making it work. Relatively new teams that are run properly and are already providing inclusive and well organised environments for their communities to play football.

Huge thanks to Mark from Sunday FC Men’s and John and Liam from City East FC Men’s in the Hackney and Leyton League, Chris from AFC Acorns Women’s who have two senior teams - one of which plays in the London & South East Regional League - and to Ravinder from Grand Sports Club Men’s in the Rochester and District League.

Make sure you have the passion and the time and the drive to do this

GETTING STARTED

Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start. First of all, check in with yourself - make sure you have the passion and the time and the drive to do this. Accept that there will be ups and downs, and things beyond your control. Approach an already established club that has space for a team, or take the great leap and start one yourself. Though you won’t have a full squad just yet, it’s a good idea to have a pool of friends that will come along with you.

Mark at Sunday FC did just that. “We are a brand new team but seven of us came over from a Saturday team playing in the Essex Alliance Leagues. This is our inaugural season. We're not even a year old, although some of the grey hairs beg to differ!” John and Liam also built their club from an already established group. “Talks began around 2017 with a few friends but we officially started City East FC in 2018. We’ve been going for four seasons now and are not looking to stop anytime soon. It’s been one of our greatest decisions, starting a football team.”

Rav started the club from a pool of players that were already attending football fitness sessions. “The club was born in 2015. We were a new side, created on the back of a Health Project to get men back into football.” And Chris at AFC Acorns had the pandemic to contend with: “We started the club in 2020; just as Covid-19 hit the UK, we launched with two senior women's teams.”

SUPPORT RECRUITMENT

Support is vital. It may feel like your baby, but you need to let go and let others get involved. A majority of people will just want to turn up around other commitments and pay their subs and play, which is totally fine, but there are always those that will want to help and understand that you need support to help it thrive. Every club we spoke to has a management team. You’ll figure out very quickly who can help.

Chris at AFC Acorns recognised this immediately. “We formed a management team and committee to ensure general day-to-day management and planning for short, medium and long-term growth.” As did Rav. “We have support over both clubs; you must, otherwise you will get overwhelmed.”

If you play in the team, like Mark, you’ll definitely need support. “There's three-to-four of us who run it, split the roles but always able to share the load when needed. We're all playing too so it can be a bit of a juggle on match days when you're wrangling people, sorting kit and team sheets, when you're meant to be warming up.”

John and Liam found out the hard way: “Originally it was just us for the first season, but we came to learn it was going to be a bit harder than we first thought … luckily enough, with the help of others, we now have a management team of seven. We are all league representatives and it’s usually rotated between us for league meetings.” So, you’re committed, you’ve got your team name, your pool of players along for the ride and your support. Now comes the hard part. There’s no perfect method for recruiting new players. Having a few involved already definitely helps, so that people can see the type of player and individual they will be playing with. AFC Acorns work alongside local schools and academies but if this isn’t your level, it’s time to go full Harry Redknapp and sell the dream. Every player that has played regularly has a bank of contacts, so you must lean on them to make an introduction and just keep posting. What you can uncover may be a pleasant surprise! As John and Liam found out: “To be honest, it’s pretty much been word of mouth. Everyone in our team is a childhood friend or relative. Although we’ve actually had two great signings through them contacting us via email or on social media. Andrew our Scottish journalist. And Adam Groom, ‘The Shrewsbury Broom’. Literally sweeps up everything at the back!”

Mark had similar success, albeit at the last minute. “We had about eight players with a few weeks to go before the season. Thankfully Gumtree came to the rescue. We've found players who are now new mates through the ads we put out - lads from Italy, France, Greece and Newbury. Obviously it's a bit of a lottery when you put the call out but we've been lucky to find good lads, not just good players.”

Other clubs may sadly be folding so it might be worth offering players a chance to continue playing. Beyond the usual channels like Facebook, Instagram and Gumtree there are also platforms that can help. Rav appreciates the work involved. “Via word of mouth of the players in the squad and every social media platform going, all the random ‘Player Wanted’ Facebook groups and pages, adverts went and still go anywhere. We also have the Kent FA’s Perfect Match tool.”

"A positive culture where players are part of something bigger than just a football team will add so much to your club"

KIT & EQUIPMENT

JOINING A LEAGUE OR COMPETITION

Again, begin by asking the question of your players. Your bank of contacts for a kit or a local sponsor or supplier are multiplied everytime someone asks the same questions to their network as you. But in truth, as long as you have something to get started with you can revisit later on as you grow. The main thing is getting out there! As Mark can testify: “We kindly borrowed a rather heavy long sleeve kit from a Gaelic football team, which kept us clothed until we found a sponsor who could help us buy our own kit.” Chris and his management team had a plan in place. “Working very hard with the committee, we created a commercial plan to fund everything required. In normal years we would have been able to claim grants from ‘Grow The Game’, but due to Covid-19, all funding was withdrawn at the local FA level. We rely on local partners and sponsors to keep membership at a low rate while also providing good kit, equipment and training facilities.”

If it’s too early for sponsorship and you don’t have access to a kit, ask the team if they’d be happy to contribute. What can feel like a huge figure suddenly becomes more manageable when split among the squad. John and Liam work to this model. “Kits and equipment, everything is self-funded and players have helped where and when they can.”

Be persistent, like Mark. “I sent about twenty emails to the Hackney and Leyton League hoping to squeeze us in and thankfully they did. We didn't want to play anywhere else but the football Mecca of Hackney Marshes, and to be fair we love it.”

The best thing in your favour is that you already have worked hard on all of the above, and leagues and County FAs know that you are in it for the long term, are organised, have a squad and are serious. Some leagues will require you to be part of an established club, as Rav found out. “Firstly, I messaged the Kent County League, who informed me you must be established and meet certain requirements for their level and redirected me to the Rochester & District League. Once I emailed them, they informed me of the process, and we applied and were accepted.”

There is always information online and John and Liam have been lucky that April, a member of their management team, is a dab hand at getting them set up. “Entering competitions like the London FA Sunday Cup is quite simple as you can just google it. Any other competition is usually forwarded to us by April - she’s always looking for ways to win silverware. April has also been a massive help with the day-to-day running of the club, dealing with emails from the London FA and the league, booking our training facilities, etc. She’s even been asked to be a part of the League Committee of the Hackney and Leyton League.”

Another example of that support team working for you. It’s so important you surround yourself with people who want to see you grow.

AVAILABILITY & FUNDS

VALUES & COMMUNITY

So, after all that, it’s time to actually play some games. Get some friendlies in against local opposition. How you decide to manage your day to day when it comes to availability and funds is crucial to saving yourself time and keeping things streamlined and efficient.

We use Spond to manage availability, communicate with players and pay our subs. It’s been an incredibly effective tool for us over the past few seasons.

Rav is still going down the WhatsApp route! “WhatsApp – thousands of groups, individual chats – it is literally endless! But worth it when the weekend comes.” But be warned: this can be hard to manage or keep control of if you’re not a man like Rav. Chris uses TeamApp to manage training and matchday availability.

City East have their own system. “We’ve got a decent little system where the players copy and paste a layout to confirm their availability for match day and will leave a certain emoji for how they're paying their subs, whether it’s cash or via bank transfer.” John and Liam appreciate the importance of getting this right. “We are a self-funded club and for the past four seasons we have relied a lot on the players turning up, paying their subs and signing fees on time. Every and any penny received goes straight back into the club to pay for pitch permits, booking training and replacing kits and equipment.”

It’s about finding a time-effective and organised way that works for you, but keeping hold of this is crucial to any grassroots club.

What you promote both on and off the pitch is vital. To recruitment, to player happiness, to your relationship with leagues and officials, and to your chances of receiving sponsorship. DO NOT BRING DICKHEADS into your club, however good they are.

A positive culture where players are part of something bigger than just a football team will add so much to your club.

Mark from Sunday FC has got it right. “We've played eleven-a-side for years, and what we realised was that if you're not enjoying the bits before and after the games then you don't enjoy the time during the game. So we've made it clear that we want to create a positive and supportive culture, no egos, no benching a regular to play your ex-semipro mate, no politics. We lost our first six matches and I was expecting people to sack it off, but amazingly everyone has stuck around.”

As has Rav. “Everyone is welcome, and the club is a safe space where you can come and play football. No judgments.” Chris recognises this too: “Inclusivity, ALL areas. On a personal level and being part of a health club we like to offer and promote the benefits of self-investment.” John and Liam agree. “The values we try to promote at City East are commitment, family, brotherhood, hard work and being on time! Early preparation is a big key to our success. We are out fixing the nets and doing our warm ups every week, regardless of what the weather brings.”

Social and fundraising events can be key to a side’s togetherness and success and players buying into the whole ethos, as well as engaging with local community establishments and organisations. Whether that be local charities, food banks or even just generating business for the local pub!

Grand Sports are hugely involved in the local community. “We have run some coaching sessions with the local council during the summer of 2021 and we will be working closely with the local youth services at The Grand to provide football and basketball (which we hope leads to a Grand Basketball side).” City East’s manager has “helped a few of our younger players with job courses linked with a local youth club”, and AFC Acorns support local academies, cancer and mental health charities. “In 2022 we are about to launch a very special community project which will be the first of its kind in our local area.”

"Obviously it's a bit of a lottery when you put the call out but we've been lucky to find good lads, not just good players"

How you decide to manage your day to day when it comes to availability and funds is crucial to saving yourself time

IN CONCLUSION...

So, is there a perfect way to run a grassroots football club? No, everyone is different and different ways of working suit different people. But by focusing on the above topics in the right order and ensuring the values are upheld within the club, you can’t go too far wrong. TGP

HOW TO RUN A LEAGUE: BARNET SUNDAY FOOTBALL LEAGUE

1966 was a great year for English football: the Barnet League was born. But its progression in recent years has made it a great example to follow in how to run a grassroots league.

1966 will always be most remembered as the year that England won the World Cup and football finally came home, creating a generation of people who wanted to play the beautiful game and have a crack at becoming the next Bobby Moore, Alan Ball or Geoff Hurst. The buzz and excitement around the national sport due to England’s success on home soil filtered all the way down to the grassroots amateur level and led to the formation of the Barnet Sunday Football League (then known as the Barnet & District Sunday League) for the 1966/67 debut season.

For that first season, the league had twenty-two clubs, two divisions consisting of twenty league games and a singular cup competition. The first team to be crowned Division One champions were Inter-Woodcock who also went on to claim the double with the League Cup. Runners-up were Pursley United. In Division Two, the champions were North Met O.D. (Barnet) with Barnet College as runners-up. Only one founder club that played in that initial season remains with the league today - Roving Reporters.

Periods of success and decline have followed the league over the years, but owing to the resilience of the volunteers and the clubs that play in it, the league has always been able to continue.

Fast-forward to the current season in 2021/22 and the Barnet Sunday Football League has gone from strength to strength in recent times and now has seventy-four teams, eight divisions and runs six cup competitions. It’s been one hell of a journey over the past fifty-six years to reach this point but none of it would have been possible without the many men and women who have served as custodians, giving up their time to volunteer in the running of the league. SOCIAL MEDIA

The recent social media modernisation has been a massive help in bringing Barnet Sunday Football League into the twenty-first century over the last few seasons. A rebrand of the league logo, a new website, engaging social media content and most importantly the launch of the league's YouTube channel has helped solidify the BSFL as the largest Sunday League in North London. Recently the league has expanded its project and has a game a week filmed and uploaded to the YouTube channel. This can be anything from a top of the Premier Division clash to a relegation battle in Division Six, or anything in between. It gives the teams a level of exposure which they wouldn’t necessarily get and teams on the rise get that vital filming experience.

INCREASED PARTICIPATION

Due to the league’s growth and being the largest organised league in North London, the BSFL has seen participation increase in record numbers. There is no better example of this than when the league gained thirty-two new teams ahead of the 2020/21 season following

“The largest organised league in North London, it has seen participation increase in record numbers”

Covid-19 restrictions being lifted; an impressive number of new teams, and the largest single intake of teams ahead of a new season in the league’s history. This is down to the hard work of the social media team who are always looking to add new teams to the league to facilitate growth. One of the main challenges in this regard has been the referee shortage that has been a national issue but the BSFL have managed to combat this by funding referee courses with London FA and Middlesex FA helping us gain officials. CUP FINALS

Due to the pandemic, a reduced cup format with amended rules had to be agreed in principle by the teams that wanted to enter the cups. Thanks to those clubs agreeing to be flexible in regards to playing midweek, Saturday and in some cases having to play two games on one day, it meant the cup programme could be completed. Over 1,000 people turned up to watch the finals, with the league generating in excess of £4,000 in revenue. The planning, delivery and execution of the cup finals by the committee members involved led to a record-breaking cup competitions programme - a testament to the dedication of the league to give its teams a memorable occasion.

COMMUNICATION

One thing the BSFL excels at is its level of accessibility and communication with clubs and referees. Regular comms are sent out in a Club Admin Group facilitated by WhatsApp and teams are also in a Divisional group where they are encouraged to ask questions and create a bit of comradery. All committee members are accessible and engage with modern technology in order to ensure a smooth running of the league. But it’s not just the communication with the clubs that the league prides itself on. The league has a great relationship with the local councils whom have been understanding in regards to the national shortage of match officials and have allowed afternoon kickoffs to take place on pitch permits, enabling the league to double up on match officials. It would be very easy for the league to focus just on its clubs, but by creating relationships with councils, County FAs, local businesses and pitch providers at every opportunity, the Barnet Sunday Football League ensures it has a network of support in the local communities. TGP

MSB WOOLTON:

THE BIGGEST GRASSROOTS CLUB IN THE COUNTRY

MSB Woolton Football Club in Liverpool has more than 3,000 players across more than 150 teams, with 270 coaches providing grassroots football for the community on an incredible scale.

Based at the Simpsons Football Ground in Liverpool, MSB Woolton also has the biggest girls' football section as well as teams for players as young as four. "If any kid turns up at the door there's a team for them," said coach and committee member Luke McAvoy.

Not only does Woolton provide football pathways for children in their community, the club also boasts three men’s teams, one women’s team and a veterans team. Currently, Woolton’s men’s first team competes in the Liverpool County Premier Division, whilst the women compete in the Liverpool County FA Open Age League.

The club was awarded Charter Standard Community Club status by the FA during 2010 and was named Liverpool County FA’s Charter Standard Community Club of the Year for 2014. Community Club status is the pinnacle of the club development pathway and is awarded to clubs that have a high quality, multi-team set up with excellent social, training and playing opportunities for all. As such, Community Club status is one of the truest measures of success for the FA Football Development strategy and is considered by the FA to be the ultimate goal for clubs at grassroots level.

The club has also been part of the FA’s Club Leadership Programme since season 2018/19, which involves a small group of grassroots clubs collaborating to improve the sustainability of grassroots football across the country. It is testament to the dedication of personnel within the club that all 270 coaches perform their role on a voluntary basis.

MSB Woolton has a rich history going back to the 1930s when they operated under the banner of the Woolton Boys’ Club. The Boys’ Club committee was made up of the headmaster of the local school, town councillors and the Reverend Rector of Woolton. Shortly after the Second World War, a pre-Liverpool Bob Paisley would give a talk at the clubhouse.

Until the turn of the century, the club was operating from Woolton Youth Club in Woolton village and was registered at the FA as Woolton Youth Centre FC. The teams were loosely affiliated, and the business of the club was run by a committee of all the team managers, with no formal constitution. Adjacent to the youth club, a casual drop-in football session began to take place, which led to a number of teams at various ages being formed, and the club rose in size considerably.

In order to control the club’s expansion, it was decided that a formal organisation would be created and, as a result, a general meeting was called at which a committee was elected and a constitution created.

The club subsequently adopted codes of practice for players, coaches, parents and spectators and set about ensuring that all its managers and coaches became qualified to a minimum FA Level 1 standard. This

"If any kid turns up at the door there's a team for them."

was a slow process given the number of teams, but in 2005 the club was ready, and following application to the FA it was awarded FA Charter Standard Development Club status.

But being such a huge club poses as many challenges as it does opportunities. How can you possibly communicate a playing philosophy, making sure around 270 coaches are on the same page? How do you ensure everyone has the resources they need to guarantee that players are getting the most out of each training session?

Recently, MSB Woolton established a structured coach education programme, including the introduction of digital coaching platform The Coaching Manual.

Luke said: “Our partnership with The Coaching Manual is undoubtedly the natural next step towards creating a first-class environment for best practice football coaching, both at youth and adult level.

“Since we set up with The Coaching Manual, personally, I think it's a really good site. The content gives you inspiration but I've especially found the season planner useful. We're all volunteers, and the season planner really helps us keep on top of things. "The content that you get access to [on The Coaching Manual] is a lot different from jumping on YouTube and trying to find a video. It's a lot more structured, best practice in a sense, so what we've got to do is promote best practice and that's probably where it will help us the most."

The Coaching Manual Founder Chris Barton said: "MSB Woolton FC are a huge football institution, filled with passionate people who want what's best for grassroots football in this country and, just as importantly, their volunteer coaches and players.

“We are very proud that they are now on board with The Coaching Manual. We look forward to supporting their coaches going forward and continuing our support of grassroots football in England.”

MSB Woolton’s Academy Manager Colin Windrow said: “Our focus is now heavily on community, with initiatives with local businesses throughout the region getting involved with the club moving us on to the next step of hopefully our adults playing in the North West Counties and one day competing with Everton or Liverpool in the FA Cup. We have the youth side right; our focus is now on producing the adult side right.” TGP