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AGM 2020
This was a meeting held via Zoom.us at 7pm on Thursday 17 September 2020.
Those who joined the meeting were NORTHERN COUNTIES SCHOOLS FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
Minutes of the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2020.
Cheshire John Clark, Harry Hauxley
Cumbria Paul Tickner
Cleveland Simon Carey
Durham Geoff Wainwright , Keith Gilbertson, Alan Johnston
Greater Manchester Dave Warburton
Lancashire Michael Whitworth, Michael Broadhead
Merseyside Joe Ryan
Northumberland Neil Pont, Chris Newman
North Yorkshire Richard Davis, Dave Prothero
South Yorkshire Steve Maddock , Steven Gates
ESFA Tony James, Derv Chown
Secretary Peter Tracey
1 In Memoriam
Four great servants of Schools Football who had died in the last year were fondly remembered. All had served as Chairmen of ESFA, all had been deeply involved in Northern Counties Football and all had given their time, energy, interest, enthusiasm to promoting Football in Schools.
Malcolm Berry. Geoff Jennet, Alan Heads. Jim Robinson.
2 Minutes of the AGM 2019
These had been widely distributed and were approved as a true record
3 Matters arising
None
4 Secretary Report Peter Tracey
The report had been widely circulated before the meeting..
The season 2019-20
i. The season was never completed and the Covid19 Virus allowed no prospect of our ever finishing the competitions started last autumn. So we should move on.
ii. It is noted however that a letter received from ESFA states that it is the intention of ESFA to complete all of the competitions outstanding from season 2019-20. That is not the intention of NCSFA.
iii. But the ESFA competitions outstanding do involve a number of NCSFA members at different age groups. We wish them good luck if it is their intention to continue.
iv. The experiment to involve Humberside last season was not particularly successful and I have received notification that that county will not continue with NCSFA this season.
v. It seems that the Covid situation is relenting slowly, but the impact on season 2020-21 will be significant. It will still be some time before representative Schools Football will be able to resume.
vi. A letter from ESFA has been received, by all counties, from Darren Alcock , stating that the FA and ESFA are clear in their intention to allow grass-roots and Schools football competitions to restart after September 1, subject to proper risk assessments being conducted.
vii. It is highly unlikely that Schools will be in a position to contemplate competitions in the first half of the Autumn Term, and it is also highly unlikely that Inter County NCSFA football will be possible before the start of December at the earliest, and probably not until the start of the new year in January.
viii. Each county member of NCSFA will need to look at the issues surrounding Covid and Football. The matter can be discussed more fully at Item 8 and 9 and 10 on this agenda.
ix. This will have a bearing on the way we organise the season and I have attempted to offer a way forward in a later section of this agenda, in Item 12.
x. The level of entries for the coming season has yet to be clarified as each county will need to assess what it is comfortable with..
xi. I received the resignation of the Treasurer at the beginning of June and asked Dave Prothero to take over the books and accounts, whilst at the same time circulating the vacancy to all counties for a Treasurer. He will report separately on the situation.
xii. The chair of NCSFA for season 2019-20 was held by South Yorkshire. It would be wise, I think, to allow that County to continue through the coming season 2020-21
The report was received and accepted
6 Auditor Report
I. Dave Prothero outlined difficulties there had been following the resignation of the Treasurer but that these had been sorted out
The Auditor Report was received and accepted
7 Election of Officers for 2020-21
The meeting agreed to elect as follows
Chairman Stephen Gates, South Yorkshire
Vice Chairman c/o West Yorkshire SFA
Secretary Peter Tracey
Treasurer Dave Prothero
Auditor Chris Newman
CWO Alan Johnston
WebMaster Neil Pont
8 A Discussion on Season 2020-21
Each county had received excellent guidance papers from ESFA through
1. Membership Matters 9/20 and
2. Covid 19 Guidance on restarting outdoor football
Each county had had an opportunity to consider its own situation and there followed a discussion in which each county was able to offer its thoughts and comments relevant to NCSFA restarting a programme at some point
A major point to emerge initially was the need for each County to have a recognised Covid Officer, responsible for ensuring compliance with the ESFA requirements for Safety, Risk Assessments, Liability Insurance, clear communications with all involved in restarting outdoor football . That Covid Officer might be a specially appointed person, or the county Secretary coordinating and overseeing the various appointed team managers.
Clearly there are many aspects to consider, common to all, as described and explained in the ESFA Guidance. . Members of the meeting gave short summaries of their own county’s situation.
Greater Manchester opened the discussion, describing how internally they have had some turmoil but things are getting clearer, and wanted to know what other counties were thinking and doing. Cheshire reported that no return to organised outdoor football was foreseeable before Christmas. It has withdrawn from ESFA National Comps, is cautious about any restart and worried about the age profile and energies of its organisers. This is the view also of Cumbria, Very hard to see any return to outdoor football. The County has massive logistical, and personnel issues.
Merseyside aims, and wants, to reintroduce football at all levels, with a Covid Officer in place, but not before end of November.
Likewise, Cleveland. which is keen to get some return to football at all age groups, and is working hard on the role of the Covid Officer for that county, as is South Yorkshire, which is well advanced on getting protocols in place.
Northumberland raised the need for players to be officially recommended and approved by their schools to take part in trial matches, and for parents to be very well informed and to consent. . Team managers will be responsible for safety protocols, and responsible to the County Secretary for consistent compliance.
North Yorkshire described their difficulties in getting suitable grounds for future trials or matches. There would be cleaning costs and hygiene issues at the schools they could use.. Hosting other counties might not be possible. There would almost certainly be no inter school football before Christmas in this geographically very large county.
Lancashire is still planning to go ahead with ESFA national competitions carried over from 2019-20, and feels that, in partnership with Lancs FA, it will be able to go ahead safely. It was pointed out that they will certainly need to be aware of the need to observe all CWO requirements when planning to play at enclosed grounds. That county has not yet held its AGM and has no Covid Officer in place as yet.
Durham brought forward an idea to “miss out” a year group in 20-21, and to concentrate in the new year on developing squads at under 15 and 17 ready for a resumption of normal activity in season 2021-22. This idea was not a proposal, but was circulated for all counties to think about.
Following this discussion and in summary the mood was that Covid presents great problems. But that they are just that, problems to be faced and dealt with if at all possible. ESFA has given excellent guidance. More than one county expressed the opinion that “We need to try” to get some provision. It was also very clearly expressed, however, that “It is not merely about effort. It’s barriers. Counties are different, and nothing is easy and we should not assume that what is possible in one county is possible in another”