OLDBURY PARK TIGERS FC

Dear Parent/Carer/Supporter                                                                                       January 2009

I am writing to you to explain the key features of the FA’s RESPECT campaign which was launched at the beginning of this season.  This is now being rolled out to ALL affiliated leagues in grassroots football on a phased basis and the Mercian and Stourport leagues are instituting the RESPECT campaign from January 2009.  From this point All clubs in the respective league who has signed up must adhere to the campaign regardless of whether they have achieved FA Charter status or not.

The RESPECT campaign is the result of a national debate (Your Game, Your Say) which involved a series of workshops across the UK that were held by County FA’s.  Parents and officials from OPTFC attended an event in 2008 at Worcestershire County Cricket Club hosted by the Worcestershire Football Association (WFA).

The key concerns from the national survey were about Behaviour as follows:

1. The abuse and intimidation of referees
2. Abusive, aggressive and over competitive parents and supporters on the sidelines

In essence supporters (and to be fair some coaches and club officials) were SPOILING the enjoyment of the game for children by putting too much pressure on players and referees during matches.  This was the main reason given by referees AND young players for leaving the game.

The FA often says, “the game is all about opinions” however it must be run to a set of rules and these rules are interpreted by the Referee in Mini Soccer and in Youth soccer the Referee with the help of Assistant Referees (linesmen).  At matches the opinion of the Referee is the ONLY opinion that matters when it comes to interpreting the rules of the game.  Seven thousand Referees left the game in the UK last season and the main reason given for this was verbal AND physical abuse from coaches, parents and supporters from the touchline.  It is sad but true that many people complain if a referee is not available for a game but then complain when a referee does arrive but does not make all their decisions in the same way that the supporters ‘see them’.  It is also sad that many casual supporters do not even know the rules of the game and yet are happy to disagree with the Referee about them.

The RESPECT campaign has been formulated to counter the two main concerns and has four elements

1. RESPECT Codes of Conduct
2. Designated Spectator Areas
3. Captains taking Responsibility
4. Referees managing the game

I have checked OUR interpretation of the RESPECT campaign and the WFA are happy that we are taking all the correct steps.  On the following pages I have detailed how OPTFC will embed the RESPECT campaign into our club.

Once you have read through the items feel free to discuss them with your Manager or Parent Representative.  If you have any further questions about the RESPECT campaign or our club, please speak to your manager or Parent representative or to myself 07766 697880 or Jon Wilson  07742 428153.

Best regards

David Millbery                                                                            Jon Wilson

Chairman OPTFC                                                                       Vice Chairman OPTFC

07766 697880                                                                            07742 428153 

The Four Elements of the RESPECT CAMPAIGN

1.       RESPECT Codes of Conduct

There are RESPECT Codes of Conduct for EVERYONE in specific groups as follows:

1. Youth Players – (Mini Soccer AND Youth Football)

This Code of Conduct will be explained to the players in each team as a group by their Manager/Coach and they must sign up to the code to continue playing.  Every Player will also be given a copy of their RESPECT Code of Conduct.

2. Coaches, Team Managers and Club Officials

At the Next Management Meeting we will ensure that ALL Club Officials have signed up to their Code of Conduct.  Those not willing to sign up to the code will not be able to hold a position as an official of the club

3. Spectators and Parents/Carers

At the earliest opportunity we will make available laminated copies of this Code of Conduct for all those attending to watch games.  Copies will be available at ALL home games.  Whilst there is no need to ‘sign up’ to this code it is a prerequisite of the club that all those attending adhere to this code.

4. Match Officials

There is also a Code of Conduct for all Match Officials which is administered directly by the WFA

As you know we already have Codes of Conduct at OPTFC however The RESPECT Codes of Conduct will sit alongside our own for the rest of this season as part of our Club Rules.  As from next Season we will build the RESPECT Codes into our own Codes of Conduct to become single codes for each group to avoid any confusion. Anyone who breaks their Code of Conduct will be dealt with within our own club rules but also may be dealt with by the FA at their discretion.

2.       Designated Spectator Areas

A pilot in 19 leagues of RESPECT barriers led to a big improvement in spectator behaviour and therefore we have purchased spectator barriers for ALL our teams to use at home games.  The barriers will work as follows

1. ALL supporters will stand on one side of the pitch BEHIND a RESPECT barrier or cone line that is a minimum of 2m away from the touchline.  This is a line that should not be crossed and also in the 11-a-side game provides a clear area for the assistant referee to use.
2. Club Officials ONLY will stand on the other side of the pitch

                  Club officials include

                                                               i.      Manager, Coach, Assistant Coach

                                                             ii.      First Aid Officer

                                                            iii.      Young Leader (A qualified JFO working towards their FA SiS award)

                                                            iv.      Child Welfare Officer 

3. NO Supporters will be allowed to stand at either END of the pitch

These measures will make it very clear who is able to coach the team and who is present to support only.  Therefore Children will understand that instructions will only come from ONE side of the pitch.  Supporters should not coach players in any case as they will be adhering to their own Code of Conduct.

3.       Captains taking Responsibility

Captains of teams now have more responsibility as they will become the main contact point with the referee during matches. Each team must have a captain and vice-captain who understands their responsibilities during the game and managers/coaches will discuss and explain their responsibilities to them and the rest of the team.

4.       Referees managing the game

It is important that Referees are allowed to manage the game without abuse or hindrance.  Qualified Referees have had workshops with the WFA and have been given their own Codes of Conduct.  We can all help Referees by adhering to our own Codes of Conduct and also by learning more about the game.

If any parent wants to become more involved with the club please speak to your Manager or to myself (U8s to U11s) 07766 697880 or Jon Wilson (U12s to U15s) 07742 428153.

In addition there are a number of excellent online courses created by the FA that parents can take free of charge.  If you want to know more about them please contact myself (U8s to U11s) 07766 697880 or Jon Wilson (U12s to U15s) 07742 428153.

Other Items

In addition to the four elements above we will now ask at our Home games ALL players to shake hands at the beginning AND end of each game.

Gaining Involvement

We have spent a lot of time at OPTFC trying to maximise the opportunities for Children and Adults in our local community to become actively involved in our club, these include:

1. An Open Development Centre open to ALL interested children
2. Regular School Club links with local primary schools
3. Specific Girls football coaching with FA tutors
4. Paying full fees for Adults to gain FA coaching qualifications
5. Organising with the WFA for our 14 year old players to enter a Young Person Development Programme to gain FA Junior Football Organiser and Step Into Sport qualifications as well as the opportunity to gain a full coaching FA qualification at 16 (all Free of Charge)
6. Welcoming UCW Sports Studies Students to assist with coaching our teams as part of their education programme

It is by involving adults and children in our club that we hope to ensure we ALL learn the best ways to provide safe, fun and supportive environments for our children to play football in.  This in turn helps build the culture of RESPECT that we all wish to see.  Initiatives for this season will also include:

1. Player Input

We will also look this season at seeing what our players want from the club by asking for their views in a number of ways.  This may be by questionnaires or by meetings after games or training sessions.

2. Parent/Supporter Input

We already invite a parent from each team to be the representative of parents at all management meetings and this will also continue.  We want to hear more from the Supporters of the club through their parent representatives