SATURDAY 23RD MAY 2020
It is with a very heavy heart that I have to announce the passing of a football giant in this County, a personal friend and my mentor – Kent FA President, Colin Boswell.
What Colin has done for Grass Roots football will be very hard to surpass. There will be many, very well deserved tributes being paid and from the Kent County Football League we all feel the loss and send our best wishes to Colin’s family at this most difficult of times.
On a personal note, I owe Colin a great deal. I will always be grateful for all the lessons he taught me in my journey up through my career both as a referee and an administrator. He was a good friend to myself and my family and I am where I am today in the main because of him.
Knowing Colin as I did, Rest in Peace does not seem something Colin would do, and I am sure where ever he is now, he will be administering it. So I say, Colin, my friend and Mentor, thank you and Admin in Peace.
Gavin Hoare
Chairman
For and behalf of the Kent County Football League
LEAGUE UPDATE 20.05.20
I am pleased to say, that we are now setting up the test run for the League’s AGM and will shortly release an email to all clubs with how to register for it.
It is very important that you get your most tech savvy person as your nominated person. On the test we will try out voting and how to ask questions. The league moderator will control all video camera feeds and microphones. You will not be able to turn them on but you can hear the speaker and sadly for you all most of the time it will be me.
The test run will be Thursday the 28th May at 7.30pm. Please wait for the link and a registration email to be sent to you. Only one representative from each club will be permitted to register. Registrations will close at 10 pm on the night before the event and no last minute entries will be accepted. If you have not received the link by 6 pm on Friday 22nd then please contact me by email urgently. We will require every club to be represented.
As always, it will be one vote per club – so those that have veteran teams and 1st/reserve teams in the main league will only be allowed to have one person to represent them all. You will need to agree that person.
Once we have tested the system and we are happy, we will give the go ahead to run the `real ‘ AGM and get ready to issue the official AGM notice and the packs with full instructions.
We are confident we can make this work and with all your help we can get the test run done and be ready to run a full League AGM.
Thank you and stay safe
Gavin Hoare
Kent County Football League Chairman
LATEST RELEASE FROM THE FA
The Football Association – Guidance on permitted grassroots football activity during COVID-19
The FA has today issued guidance to all grassroots football and informal football activity outside the professional game.
Consistent with Government advice, published on Wednesday 13 May, the following outdoor football activity is currently permitted:
- playing football individually e.g. practice of individual skills or fitness activities;
- playing football with your family or other people living in your household;
- an individual can play football with one other person who is not from their household.
- coaching an adult player one to one.
All social distancing guidelines must be followed.
Additionally, maintaining a grass or artificial football pitch is permitted, as long as social distancing and appropriate hygiene practices are adopted.
If an individual is symptomatic, living in a household with a possible COVID-19 infection or if you are classified as extremely vulnerable on health grounds, the guidance is that you should remain at home.
The following football activity is not permitted at this time, consistent with Government guidelines:
- coaching a child (U18) from a different household one to one. In order to comply with The FA’s safeguarding policy, a child must have a parent/carer with them, which doesn’t comply with Government social distancing requirements;
- two or more people from one household playing with one person or more from outside their household.
The FA will continue to work with the Government and Sport England in order to provide guidance to grassroots football as the Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy moves to the next phase.
Covid19 and grassroots football
This week the League chairman shared some thoughts with the online news site – Kent Sports News.
Follow this link to read more;
https://www.kentsportsnews.com/coronavirus-and-grassroots-football-in-kent-14-05-2020/
Some more good news…….Farnborough Old Boys Guild FC Awarded Funding to Improve Pitches
Farnborough OBG worked with the Football Foundation and the County FA to secure a £20,160 grant
towards the project. The award is split over the next six years which equates to £3,360 per year, to be
spent on top dressing and overseeding of the club’s two pitches.
The Football Foundation is the UK’s largest sports charity and exists to improve the experience of playing
football for everyone, by championing fair access to quality facilities.
This grant will enable Farnborough OBG FC, who give 120 players the chance to play football each week, to
improve their pitch facilities.
Players will be able to enjoy better quality pitches, which will represent a significant improvement on the
existing poorly drained surfaces
Danny Saines, Chairman of Farnborough OBG FC:
“Football makes a huge difference to the players, coaches and community here. We see first-hand the
impact on players’ confidence, physical health and mental focus. To receive this funding from the Premier
League, The FA and the Government through the Football Foundation means a lot to us, as it will help us to
improve grassroots sport in the area and get even more people involved in the nation’s favourite game.”
If your club has been awarded a grant or you have been working hard improving your pitches , clubhouses, changing room – please send me your pictures and stories – so I can share the good news here – juleshoare63@gmail.com
Kent FA Staff Update – Important
With effect from 5pm on Friday 3rd April 2020, all Kent FA staff, except those listed below, will be on furlough leave* until Sunday 31st May 2020:
- Darryl Haden – Chief Executive / Senior Safeguarding Lead
- Richard Judd – Deputy CEO / Football Services Manager
- Lee Suter – Football Development Manager
- Paula Lippett – Finance Officer
- Jordon Mann – Marketing & Partnerships Manager
Missing Archives – Help required
League historian John Weller is hoping to locate the following missing end of season league tables to complete our archive.
John says: “They all relate to the Eastern Section of the League. During this period it comprised teams to the East of a line from Sittingbourne to Tenterden.
In each season there was only one Division.
The four years are as follows:-
1951-52 Tables available up to and including results for 12th April 1952
1952-53 Tables available up to and including results for 18th April 1953
1953-54 Final table available for the end of season for the top seven teams out of thirteen.
Complete tables available up to and including results for 3rd April 1954
1955-56 Tables available up to and including results for 14th April 1956
There are suggestions not all matches were played.
Doug Leckie, Jack Gillett and myself have looked at papers held at Herne Bay, Whitstable, Margate, Canterbury, Deal, Dover, Folkestone and Ashford libraries and when it was open the Colindale newspaper collection.
If you can help fill in the missing pieces, please e-mail John at weller236@btinternet.com
Information & Guides
Transfers, registrations, marking referees – all this and more – click here
SITUATIONS VACANT & OTHER ADS
Do you need new players or volunteers? After some pre-season matches? Have spare pitches? The latest vacancies and requests are listed below. For full details& some earlier requests click here
16th May
COACH – looking for first senior team management role
16th April
GOAL KEEPER – Looking for a team
11th April
BROMLEIANS RESERVES FC – Coach required to join the management team.
