Teesborough Football League's FA Charter Standard

Matches off as coaches get down to homework!

Feb 5 2005

- By Anthony Vickers Evening Gazette -


All matches are off tomorrow as a Teesside Sunday set-up closes in on goal.

The go-ahead Teesborough League is poised to become the first adult league in the entire country to achieve FA Charter Standard status.

To achieve the Charter the FA requires all member clubs to have officials qualified in coaching, basic physio skill and administration and ensures a high standard of behaviour on and off the pitch.




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It aims to ensure a high standard of organisation at grassroots level that makes clubs and leagues stronger.


So Teesborough chiefs have scrapped the entire fixture list tomorrow so coaches, managers and club secretaries can complete a series of workshops that will set them on the way to the prestigious award.


The Charter opens the door to financial reward as the league and member clubs will be eligible for FA grants.


Most of the forward-looking league's clubs have already been working towards it and now the stragglers are being brought up to speed.


"Club officials will spend all day understanding the basics of coaching and dealing with the typical issues that crop up regularly in Sunday morning football," said league secretary Paul Conway.


"The course is workshop-based and the officials break into small manageable groups to discuss and address the problems the face on a typical Sunday morning.


"It looks at basic issues such as getting players out of bed, getting the nets up, fundraising and general admin duties that need to carried out routinely.


"The course is totally interactive and the one thing that soon comes across is that many of the issues each club thinks is unique to them is in fact shared by most if not all of the other clubs in the league.


"The FA Charter standard scheme is about organisation and raising standards across the game at all levels.


"If it means that teams become more focused, organised and can raise standards through better coaching and administration then it must bode well, not only for the league but the long term future and security of the clubs in general.


"Once the course is completed and the clubs have achieved charter status there is a whole range of benefits and packages, both financial and in terms of coaching courses and FA approved workshops that they can participate in to the benefit of the individuals and their clubs".


Some of the participants of last year's course have already moved on to higher coaching levels and taken the lessons into their approach to the game and running the club, and it's hoped that several of tomorrow's officials will get a taste for it and do likewise.


"It's obvious that any prospective player would rather play for a club that is organised or has officials with coaching qualifications than just any club that may fold at any moment due to poor organisation," said Paul.


"This course is a step towards making sure we have more of those better organised clubs.


"In the long term it could mean attracting better players to clubs and to the league in general through a reputation for better standards "


It's not all plain sailing though. The FA don't give away the coveted Charter standard awards lightly.


Clubs must be able to demonstrate that they can fulfil the necessary criteria to attain such an award.


Codes of rules for clubs and league codes of conduct for players, officials and coaches have all had to be drawn up to improve behaviour.


And new policies for equality, anti- racism and medical emergencies have all had to be drawn up so that the league can progress towards applying for the elite status.


"All being well, the league hopes to be somewhere near to being in a position to apply for official FA Charter status by the start of next season," said Paul.


"Overall the process has taken almost twelve long months since we had our first workshop last July" he explained.


"However, we can now see the light at the end of tunnel and the many months of hard work are beginning to bear fruit and that is making all the effort worthwhile.


"Being the first adult league in the country to achieve this status would be a real coup for the Teesborough League and the North Riding FA.


"Perhaps, once the League has achieved this I may be able to put my feet up for a few months" he laughed!