Constitution – appointment of club officials
Clubs must appoint roles of Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary to carry out key duties.
Finance – income and expenditure to run the club
As a new club it will be important to raise funds to run the club and initially these will probably be from player memberships and subscriptions. It is also advisable to produce a list of costs to run your team which will help you create a budget of income and expenditure for the season.
Meetings – it will be necessary to hold some through out the season and also include an Annual General Meeting
Annual Affiliation – County Associations & Leagues
A Club will need to affiliate to a County Football Association and the appropriate league it wishes to join. Clubs are recommended to seek advice on suitable league membership from our County Headquarters.
Leagues/Competitions – contact details are provided by the County FA upon Affiliation.
Fixtures – League & Cup Competitions
Fixtures are arranged by the league/competition you are admitted into. If it is a home match, the club secretary must arrange hire of a pitch, notify opponents and match officials of Kick-Off time and location of venue. For away games, arrange to inform your own team of venue, Kick-Off time and arrange for transport of players. All County Football Associations run cup competitions which give an opportunity for teams to play against clubs from different leagues or divisions.
Players – registration, eligibility, discipline, safeguarding children (U18s) & coaching
Clubs must understand the rules of each competition that they enter. All discipline at grass roots is administered by the County Football Association and the Secretary of the club is responsible to ensure that all players are eligible to play. If clubs have any doubts about eligibilities, for example suspensions, they should contact us for details.
For youth teams, it is important to be aware of child protection safeguards and advice is available from our County Welfare Officer.
Pitches – useful contacts & advice
Apply to your Local Authority, other local teams, Parish Council or owner of a private ground to hire a pitch. Please note hire charges will vary.
Kit & Equipment
Purchase suitable equipment prior to the start of your season and ensure you have sufficient equipment for all teams in your club. The necessary equipment will include, playing strip, first aid kit, nets and balls.
Insurance – Public Liability, Personal Injury and other policies
Clubs are to have adequate insurance cover for their players in case of injury or accident whilst playing or travelling to matches. Durham County FA has an arrangement with an insurance broker which we have dealt with for many years, please contact us for details.
Results / Public Relations / Press
Ensure you pass on results of your matches to comply with competition regulations. All Clubs are recommended to establish good relationships with the local press to publish results, match reports and possibly just interesting stories about their club. Good PR will help raise the profile of the club; bring in new players and may even attract some sponsorship.