The ESFA’s Rep Football Mentoring Scheme
The ESFA is delighted to launch its Representative Football Mentoring Scheme, whereby rep football organisers volunteer their advice to aspiring rep football organisers. The aim of the new scheme is to utilise the ESFA’s bank of knowledge from its volunteers across England to support those who are new, or looking for new ways to create activity, creating a sense of community and support from within its volunteer network.
You can find the list of mentors available for this scheme included below – if you are looking for some help and support, then they are available to contact in order to help to create new schools’ football activity.
Further to providing this platform of support, the ESFA has also announced two additional benefits to those who are looking to kickstart representative football activity in their area:
- The ESFA will match, up to a maximum of £500, any fundraising that a new team generates by 1 September 2024. This will be on a first come, first served basis, with funds evidenced in the Association’s account. £10,000 has been set aside for this activity, equating to a maximum of 20 teams supported (assuming they fundraise to the maximum £500 value)
- Any team created through this scheme will be offered reduced competition entry fees into ESFA National Cup competitions. If they choose to enter fee examples are £100 entry fee for year 1 entry into the ESFA Champions’ Cup, £200 entry in year 2
Meet the Mentors
Bob Owen, Gloucester PSFA
Association profile: Our primary association covers the city of Gloucester, an area of mixed economy. We currently run 5 district sides with 10 coaches spread between them, while we have a number of non-coaches fulfilling other roles. All three of our U11 district teams play on a ‘full time’ basis (ie every Saturday) and each enjoys a number of trips & tours over the course of the season. All coaches and ‘behind the scenes’ people are volunteers. We are a completely self-funding association with an annual turnover of over £15,000
Teams: U11 Boys’ (A & B), U11 Girls, U10 Boys, U10 Girls
I can share expertise in:
- Recruiting volunteers
- Recruiting players & running trials
- Setting up competitions and / or leagues
- Safeguarding arrangements
- Sourcing venues / kit / equipment
- Coaching teams / developing players
- Finding match officials
- Financing football
Contact: [email protected]
Chris Wilding, Barking & Dagenham PSFA
Association profile: Barking & Dagenham is London’s most economically deprived borough, which creates many related and unique challenges linked to running a district association. However, BDSFA is proud of its a rich strong tradition of organising high-quality and well-respected inter-school competitions that feed into the creation of our benchmark representative sides. Dozens of professional players have passed through our ranks, including three England captains, two England managers and four World Cup winners.
Our volunteers all come from our borough schools, with an elected committee and association officers overseeing the work of the district coaching staff. We are entirely self-funded, relying on our own fund-raising initiatives to pay for pitches, transport, kits, etc. and would be more than willing to assist other associations interested in developing their practice. Please make any initial contact via the email address listed.
Teams: U11 Boys & U11 Girls
I can share expertise in:
- Recruiting volunteers
- Recruiting players & running trials
- Setting up competitions and / or leagues
- Safeguarding arrangements
- Sourcing venues / kit / equipment
- Coaching teams / developing players
- Finding match officials
- Financing football
Contact: [email protected]
Des Williams, Vale of White Horse SFA
Association profile: The association covers a wide rural area of Oxfordshire. It is a fairly affluent area with pockets of deprivation. I am secretary, treasurer, team manager of two age groups and welfare officer, so I have a wide spread of knowledge of schools football with over 50 years of involvement. I have one other helper who manages our other rep team, but I rely heavily on the support of parents for transport and other ESFA approved personnel. The schools pay an affiliation fee, but home match expenses are covered by charging parents a match fee.
Teams: U13, U14 & U15 Boys
I can share expertise in:
- Recruiting players and running trials
- Setting up competitions or leagues
- Safeguarding arrangements
- Sourcing venues/kit/equipment
- Coaching teams/developing players
Contact: [email protected] | 07765 144985
John Annett, Hertfordshire County Schools’ FA
Association profile: Hertfordshire is a member of the South East England Schools’ FA and is a largely suburban area. It is a generally affluent County, but an increasing number of PP students are representing the county. The County has two AOTT volunteers and all remaining volunteers are full time or former teachers. Hertfordshire CSFA is all self-funding and doesn’t receive any funds from the ESFA or County FA. All monies raised are from school membership, competition entry fees, sponsorship and cup finals.
Teams: U14 & U16 Girls, U14, U15, U16 & U18 Boys
I can share expertise in:
- Recruiting volunteers
- Recruiting players & running trials
- Setting up competitions and / or leagues
- Safeguarding arrangements
- Sourcing venues / kit / equipment
- Coaching teams / developing players
- Finding match officials
- Financing football
Contact: [email protected]
Neil Pont, Northumberland County Schools’ FA
Association profile: Northumberland County includes rural Northumberland and urban Newcastle and North Tyneside; so from Tweed to Tyne.
The County association has a proud and active history going back over 100 years and has run successful County teams throughout that time alongside a full programme for individual schools. There has been a Northumberland representative on ESFA Council from 1922 until 2023.
We developed a firm financial footing in the 1980s by hiring trains to take pupils to schoolboy internationals at Wembley – this put ‘money in the bank’.
There has been a hard core of volunteer teachers throughout the Association’s history – but that group is now smaller and older! Three of the Executive Committee will be receiving Lifetime Achievement Awards (50 years each) this year.
We, like many others, are now facing problems with succession planning for officers; with rising costs that are eating into our funds; in recruiting teachers to work with County teams; with the availability of players for representative teams through clashes with other organisations. So – we may have similar problems to those who are wishing to engage with representative football; but, hopefully, we are developing strategies to maintain our traditions.
Teams: U14 & U16 Girls, U14, U16 & U18 Boys
I can share expertise in:
- Recruiting volunteers
- Recruiting players & running trials
- Setting up competitions and / or leagues
- Safeguarding arrangements
- Sourcing venues / kit / equipment
- Coaching teams / developing players
- Finding match officials
- Financing football
Contact: [email protected] | 07786 823637
Nick Loftus, Wolverhampton SFA & West Midlands CSFA
Association profile: I have worked with many volunteers in schools’ football for over 40 years, helping to coordinate inter school, district and County representative football. I have had many roles over those years, mainly as team manager, but also Secretary, Chairman, Welfare/Safeguarding Officer. The West Midlands is a very built up, densely populated area with lots of areas within it of social and economic disadvantage, and lots of ethnic diversity, alongside its more affluent areas. Both the Wolverhampton and West Midlands County Schools’ FA have many key, ageing former teachers running the organisation of competitions and rep teams, and we also now have some younger people involved with the running of trials, teams, competitions, tournaments, etc. I am familiar with the struggles and the rewards of providing representative football alongside working full time and having family commitments. I am willing to help in all areas of schools football, and happy to share my experience in developing Rep football
Teams: U10 – U13 Boys & U11 – U14 Girls (District) | U14, U15 & U16 Boys & U14 & U16 Girls (County)
I can share expertise in:
- Recruiting volunteers
- Recruiting players & running trials
- Setting up competitions and / or leagues
- Safeguarding arrangements
- Sourcing venues / kit / equipment
- Coaching teams / developing players
- Finding match officials
- Financing football
Contact: [email protected] | 07788 458465
Sam Essien, West London Schools’ FA
Association profile: Our secondary school Association, West London Schools’ FA, which we are in the process of re-establishing, encompasses the vibrant boroughs of Westminster, Hammersmith and Fulham, and Kensington and Chelsea. While our Association is still in its formative stages, we are led by a Chair with a wealth of experience in managing district-level teams in both boys’ and girls’ football.
Drawing from this extensive background, our Chair has collaborated closely with sports development teams in Westminster and various schools, gaining invaluable insights into the intricacies of identifying, and developing talent and promoting sportsmanship within educational settings.
Recognizing the multifaceted responsibilities inherent in our mission, we are acutely aware of the necessity to establish robust operational frameworks. This includes ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, such as the delivery of DBS checks by our Welfare Officer and the implementation of thorough risk assessments. By prioritising these foundational elements, we aim to create a safe and supportive environment wherein students can thrive both on and off the field.
I can share expertise in:
- Recruiting volunteers
- Recruiting players and running trials
- Safeguarding arrangements
Contact: [email protected]
Stephen Gates, Barnsley & District Schools’ FA
Association profile: The Barnsley School Association covers both primary and secondary sections, with 11 secondary schools and 79 primary schools in the district. Deprivation and affluence are graded from east to west, the east consisting of former mining villages with the west a very rural area, near the Peak District National Park. We are one of the largest associations in the country, running 6 representative girls teams and 6 representative boys teams, under 10 through to U15. Staff and coaches are a mix of teachers and AOTTs, with a parent fundraising steering group; all staff are volunteers. Easter domestic and foreign tours are well established and trials take place every summer. Expenditure is more than £40000 each year, so sponsorship, subscriptions and other self-funding is essential to survive.
Teams: 12 6 x boys’ teams U10/11/12/13/14/15 6 x girls’ teams U10/11/12/13/14/15
I can share expertise in:
- Recruiting volunteers
- Recruiting players & running trials
- Setting up competitions and / or leagues
- Safeguarding arrangements
- Sourcing venues / kit / equipment
- Coaching teams / developing players
- Finding match officials
- Financing football
- Engaging parents
Contact: [email protected] | 07841 511532
Steve Beale, Swindon PSFA
Association profile: Swindon PSFA supports, promotes and represents 70 schools (including 3 special and 6 infant schools) within the Borough of Swindon. These are mainly urban schools but include several in villages plus those in the nearby town of Highworth. The economy of the area is mixed with some schools in affluent areas but also several in areas of high deprivation. As a formal ESFA affiliated association (E410) and a registered charity, we have a committee of 4 volunteers/trustees: a chairman, secretary/rep side manager, child welfare officer and a member without portfolio. The main source of our funding comes from the schools themselves. Each school pays an entry fee for each competition, tournament or festival they participate in. We organise 5 area leagues, a knock-out Cup, a Plate and Shield knock-out competition (for schools which lose their round 1 or round 2 Cup tie respectively). We also organise the district heats of the three ESFA Pokémon Primary Schools’ Cup competitions. In addition to this there is a Girls’ Cup (group stage then knock-out rounds) plus our indoor 5 a-side festivals in January and February for Year 1 & 2 , Year 3 & 4 open to girls and boys and a Year 5 & 6 one for girls only. Schools also pay a representative side support fee (regardless of whether they have a player in the squad) and a website access fee (www.swindonpsfa.org). The maximum a school would pay, if they entered everything we organised in 2023/24, is £290. The minimum paid would be £70 with an average of £145. The representative side also raises funds through sponsorship from local businesses, match programme sales, social events such as Quiz Nights and Curry Nights. In addition to this the rep side players take part in a sponsored-shoot out and their parents are asked to sell team names on a scratch-card
I can share expertise in:
- Recruiting players and running trials
- Setting up competitions or leagues
- Sourcing venues/kit/equipment
- Finding match officials
- Financing football
Contact: [email protected] | 07981 015240