League News & Updates

Join Our Committee

Monday 22nd April 2024

As the 2023-2024 season draws to a conclusion the CYFL is already planning for next season. There has been early interest from new clubs and additional teams to existing clubs.

With this in mind we are keen to expand our resources on our Committee. We need people who want to get involved and will be active member of the league.

Specifically we are keen to recruit people who will observe matches on a Sunday morning and / or afternoon as we like to have representation at as many games as possible.

We would also welcome anyone interested in shadowing our main officers to ensure succession planning and cover for illness. These roles cover over General Secretary, Fixture Secretary, Referee Secretary, Registration Secretary and League Welfare Officer.

If you are looking to gain experience in these areas, shadowing our existing Officers would be ideal for your development into football administration.

We are also looking to appoint a Discipline Officer and a Respect Officer.

If you think that this is a little bit of you, and you can become a proactive member of our committee, please complete the attached expression of interest form, and we will be in touch.

Wednesday 10th January 2024

Acknowledgement & Recognision Of Long Service For The CYFL

Calling all members clubs…..Do you have somebody at your club with over 15 years service?

The M and S Water Chiltern Youth Football League is looking to acknowledge and recognise individuals who have dedicated long service to the League.

This could either be from being a member of the League Management Committee or from a club in the League.

If your club has somebody who has served in any capacity for over 15 years, we believe this service to the League and youth football should be rewarded so please submit your nominations by clicking on the link and completing the form by 1st March 2024

Click The Link Below To Enter:

CYFL Full Council Meeting

Monday 30th January 2023

Thank you to all the Clubs who attended the M and S Water Services Ltd. Chiltern Youth Football League Full Council meeting at Flitwick Football Centre last Monday (30th January 2023).

We hope those representatives in attendance found the meeting interesting and we are grateful for the feedback, interesting and lively debate and constructive ideas that came from the floor.

There were certainly lots of food for thought in the discussions, both for the Committee and for clubs and we would ask that if anyone wishes to consider submitting rule changes for season 2023 / 24, they submit them to myself, along with a rationale, by 7th February 2023.

Thanks also to Veronique Nani and Jose Gomes from Bedfordshire Football Association who were also in attendance and made a presentation on Safeguarding requirements and issues. The presentation will be shared with member clubs in due course, alongside the minutes of the meeting.

Unfortunately a few Clubs were not in attendance and they will be hearing from us regarding their non representation and the associated fine.

Well done to Leighton United, Sacred Heart Youth and Houghton Athletic who were all successful in the draw for a matchball at the recent M and S Water Services Ltd. Chiltern Youth Football League Full Council meeting.

Only Clubs who are represented at the meeting are entered in the draw and these were the lucky ones who came out in the draw .

Congratulations to Biggleswade Town Youth, Warden United, Shortstown Rangers and Potton United Youth who were all presented with a match ball under the M and S Water Services Ltd. Chiltern Youth Football League ‘ Get Things Right ‘ iniatitive at the League’s recent Full Council Meeting . Clubs who receive the award are selected based on their Respect Marks , Club discipline and administration .

Important Exciting Update for Everyone

Monday 16th January 2023

The Chiltern Youth Football League are being sponsored for the current 2022 / 2023 season by M and S Water Services (Utilities) Ltd. The League are very proud and delighted to announce that they will be continuing to partner with M and S Water Services for their 10th consecutive season and beyond after the company confirmed that they will continue their support of the league after this season for a further three seasons.

League General Secretary, Jonathan Brown said , ‘we are delighted that agreement has been reached with M and S Water Services for them to sponsor the League for a further three seasons . This sponsorship is so important to the League, enabling us to reduce the annual subscription paid by all the member Clubs , continue to purchase bespoke medals to award to all the players winning Championships and Cup Finals and also undertake a number of other initiatives to support member clubs, and we are extremely grateful to the Company for their continued support‘.

Thomas Harkin, Contracts Director of M and S Water Services confirmed the sponsorship by stating ‘we are very pleased to continue our association with the League that provides the opportunity for so many young people to participate in organised, competitive football in the local area.‘

AGM Award Winners

Monday 12th July 2021

Congratulations to all the Award Winners announced at the M&S Water Chiltern Youth Football League AGM tonight.

Presidents Award - For service to the League

Tony Gee - League Officer

Club Secretary of the Year

Simon Netherton - Wootton Rangers

AM Referee of the season

Josh Harding

PM Referee of the season

Adam Haywood

Sporting Trophy/Respect Awards :

Under 11:

Leighton United Blues

Under 12:

AFC Dunstable Blues

Under 13:

Crawley Green Youth Cubs

Under 14:

2Touch Football Tigers

Under 15:

Shefford Saints Reds

Under 16:

Bedford Town Youth Development

Under 17:

AFC Dunstable Blues

Under 18:

Flitwick Eagles Golds

Reminder for Clubs

Tuesday 6th April 2021

At long last, we are just days away from the CYFL season being able to re-start! Reassuringly, the great British weather has decided to behave as if it is winter (when the season was curtailed!) to provide some familiarity for us with the normal football season.

Having not been in the footballing routine, I thought it prudent to issue some reminders for all teams - this information has been lifted directly from the Pre-season guidance that was offered way back in September. However, it still remains true, so would ask you to forward to your managers for their use please.

And remember the following, which applies to the re-start of the season (from 11th April through to 30th June)

No Free Sundays will be permitted - to enable the season to be successfully finished by 30th June, games scheduled for Sundays will be played on that date scheduled. Any games not played will be subject to standard Non-fulfilment Disciplinary Charges
Midweek games can be changed but MUST be played in the week that the original game is scheduled.
If changing either the kick-off time or the date of a game, please ensure that the match referee and the appropriate CYFL Referee and Fixture Secretary are aware beforehand of any changes
Any games not played by the end of the season will be declared VOID
Players can be registered up until 30th April (withstanding the usual squad size requirements)
NO transfers are permitted
Spectators MUST be limited at games - one parent per player is permitted for safeguarding purposes. Any spectators in attendance must socially distance
Any manager/coach or club official entering the field of player to treat an injured player MUST be wearing a face mask as an absolute minimum

We hope that everyone will be sensible when attending games and remember that this is an important step for the mental health and physical wellbeing of young people and any reports of misconduct or failure to respect the guidance around the re-start of grassroots sport, could lead to games being cancelled, which would be devastating to all concerned and make a mockery of the hard work of everyone to re-start the season. Your support, as always is appreciated.

The below are standard reminders for all:-

FIXTURE CONFIRMATIONS

Fixtures are to be confirmed by the home team with opponents and the match referee by 9pm on the Tuesday prior to the Sunday when the game is to be played. Teams will be notified of their opponents and match referee via email prompt and the details can also be found on mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">www.full-time.thefa.com. Please follow up any messages/emails/texts to ensure that they have been received and please do so sooner rather than later. Do not leave it until 9pm on the Saturday night to say that you have had problems contacting either the opponents or the referee!!! If you are genuinely having problems contacting teams or referees, please ensure that you contact the relevant person asap for assistance – names, roles and contact details can be found in the CYFL handbook.

At the point of confirming the game, please ensure that you share arrangements relating to COVID-19, including the risk assessment and advise who the designated COVID-19 contact will be.

KICK OFF TIMES

League rules dictate that we have fixed kick-off times for each section – AM (Under 11, 12, 13 and 14 age groups) kick off at 10:30am and PM (Under 15, 16, 17 and 18 age groups) kick off at 2pm. However, we are aware that owing to COVID-19 restrictions and the need to socially distance at venues, there may be a need to change kick-off times to accommodate multiple fixtures at one site. In these circumstances, this is of course allowed but will need to be communicated with both teams and the match referee with plenty of notice. It is also important that the League (via Tony Gee and the appropriate Referee Appointments Officer) are made aware. In the situation where there is a dispute over kick-off times, the designated time will apply; and if this does not work due to site restrictions, then the game will be cancelled.

COVID-19 RISK ASSESSMENTS

Please could I ask for all clubs to forward copies of their updated COVID-19 risk assessments to me. We are not in a position – nor are we required to – approve risk assessments before teams play, but we would like visibility of the risk assessments should we receive any complaints. Remember that you need to share this with your opponents and match referee prior to games.

COVID-19 SAFETY EQUIPMENT

Please remember that any coaches who enter the field of play to administer first aid or treatment to an injured player MUST wear a face mask as a minimum. Some people may wish to use additional measures, but a mask is an absolute minimum.

TEAM SHEETS

For this season, please note that on match day for this season, we will NOT be expecting team sheets to be completed and exchanged. This is a practical decision to try and limit the amount of contact between people. However please do NOT be tempted to play unregistered or ineligible players. Remember that if a player is not registered or is suspended, they are not insured to play in that game and you run the risk of being charged with the offence and being fined and losing the points

WHOLE GAME SQUAD LISTS

Please ensure that each team manager has their Squad list (printed from the Whole Game system) available for inspection at each and every game. I would encourage teams to adopt a best practice approach of inspecting the squad lists as we will not entertain investigating any form of dispute regarding the eligibility of players if the squad lists have not been checked. We have suggested that everyone prints out a sheet to exchange as that way we do not have issues with mobile phones / iPads etc getting damaged or misplaced during the process. This is especially important this season as we would encourage the use of paper print outs (why not print them and laminate them so that they can be sanitised afterwards?) and avoid the need to touch mobile phones? And the checking of Squad Lists is important in the absence of team sheets.

REFEREE APPOINTMENTS

Steve Chamberlain will continue to be appointing referees to the AM Section (Under 11, 12, 13 and 14 age groups) and we welcome Brian Cooper to the role, and he will be appointing referees to the PM Section (Under 15, 16, 17 and 18 age groups)

We are likely to have over 100 fixtures scheduled each week, and we hope to appoint a referee to over 95% of the fixtures. Of course, the Bedfordshire Football Association are constantly working to improve the availability of referees and hold a number of training course for new referees through the year. So, if you do not have an official this week, please bear with us over the coming weeks. We know that we have capacity issues in selected areas and I am working with the Bedfordshire Football Association to try and ensure that we recruit referees in the correct geographical areas to fill any gaps that we may have.

We have made a slight change to the way we appoint referees to avoid some confusion with respect to club referees as follows (also contained in the guidance). There are now 3 steps.

Firstly, an appointed referee will always take precedence over any club arranged referee.

In the notification, if the Referee space is blank then we have not started appointing.
If the notification says ‘League are searching for an appointed referee’ then appointments have started but we do not have anyone available yet. Teams should start looking for a volunteer in preparation. Be assured we are trying to find a qualified and registered referee at this point. All referees are emailed on the Tuesday with unfilled games and we often fill most games at this point. An appointment email will be sent out if we find a referee.

It is at this point we need your help. If a referee is found by a club and you do not want us to make a change then you MUST contact us to let us know who the referee is. We can check that they are allowed to referee youth games (the FA rules are a bit complicated here but a qualified and registered referee (16+) cannot officiate in a youth game without a DBS check). There is a serious safeguarding issue here which we cannot ignore. Ideally, anyone volunteering should be DBS checked but it is not a necessity – that is for clubs to manage themselves as a safeguarding issue. Once we know then we will not appoint a referee to that game but if you do not tell us then the appointed referee must take charge.

If the notification says ‘CLUB REFEREE’ then it is almost certain the 2 clubs will have to agree on a referee between them. We will try and make contact before making an appointment to check arrangements have not been made.

REFEREES

Please ensure that you look after your appointed match referee, both before, during and after, each, and every game. Remember that the game cannot take place without a referee and sometimes you may find that your referee is officiating in his or her first game. They will be learning their game, in the same way that your players will be and we need to understand that mistakes will be made from time to time – they will not be deliberate and hopefully they will learn from them.

Ensure that the fixture is confirmed with the referee appropriately and in a timely manner; meet and greet them before the game and make sure that they are aware who the point of contact will be during their stay with you and ensure that they are paid promptly at the conclusion of the fixture. But above all treat them with RESPECT and remember to RESPECT their decisions.

The FA guidance is that referees should not be paid in cash but contactless in some way. Please make this part of the discussion you have with the referee when confirming the fixture so that everyone is in agreement. The recommendation is that payment is made via BACS to avoid the exchange of notes and coins, but please ensure that this is arranged prior to the game (payment to be made following the game). However, if a BACS payment is not possible, then the suggestion is that payment is made using an envelope to transfer the money to the referee to avoid the direct handling and transfer of money.

Please note that it still remains the HOME teams’ responsibility to pay the referee following a game & also that the referee fees have changed for the 2020-21 season (as agreed at our AGM). The new fees are as follows:-

Under 11 / Under 12 £22

Under 13 / Under 14 £24

Under 15 / Under 16 £27

Under 17 / Under 18 £33

It is worth mentioning here that if you are approached by referees offering their services that there is a safeguarding responsibility on you before you allow them to referee. There are individuals who have been banned from football for good reason and we are aware they do still referee – there are penalties for clubs who use them in affiliated games so please be careful.

MATCH REPORTS

Online match reports need to be submitted after every fixture - league/cup, home and away. The process really is simple and does only take a few moments so there should not be any excuses. However, should anyone have any problems, I would like to ask that you attempt to complete the online form to the best of your ability first. Then, should you need any assistance, please feel free to contact Tony Gee via email for advice.

Please note at 9pm on the Tuesday after the Sunday fixture, the system will be locked down and no further submissions or changes can be made. Those teams who have not submitted a form at that point will be fined - you have been warned. As secretaries, you will be contacted to be advised if one of your teams has not submitted a form and given a deadline to get the form submitted. Further non-compliance will see the fines escalate; this is something that no one wants to see, but will hopefully focus the mind!

Cheers,

Jonathan Brown

Secretary, Chiltern Youth Football League

Update from the CYFL Secratary

Saturday 20th March 2021

All,

Further to our re-start proposal and announcement earlier in the week, there are some further updates to make you aware of.

Please can you ensure that all updates are passed onto your managers and administrators over the coming weeks.

The Under 18 Bedfordshire County Cup will continue; the County FA will be programming fixtures and announcing these over the coming days
All teams are required to ensure that their Risk Assessments are up to date ahead of the re-start and our expectation is that these are to be shared with opposing teams and match officials at the point of confirming the fixtures
The FA have circulated some details relating Re-start protocols. Although the definitive guidance has not been confirmed as yet and further details are to be announced this coming week, teams should be aware of the situation regarding spectators in the current situation. Presently.........

Spectators

No spectators are allowed at grassroots football as part of step one of the Government’s roadmap, unless for safeguarding purposes which should be limited to one parent or carer per child

Tony has been working hard to complete the fixture list for all teams for the remainder of the season and it is hoped that this will be available for viewing tomorrow, via the usual Full-time pages. Thank you to Tony for his hard work in compiling this.

Finally, we need to hold an Extra-ordinary General Meeting to vote to extend the season. At the AGM last year, clubs voted that the season would finish on Sunday 23rd May, so to allow the season to continue beyond this and into June, clubs need to approve a change. This meeting will be held remotely, there will only be one item on the agenda and will not be mandatory for all clubs to attend. Details will follow in the coming days as to the date and time of this meeting.

Cheers,

Jonathan Brown

Secretary, Chiltern Youth Football League

FA Announcment

Monday 4th January 2021

All,

Please note the below update from The FA, following the announcement by the Prime Minister earlier tonight.

We are sorry that everyone's attempts to try and keep the game going has been to no avail; it is obviously important that everyone respects the guidance as supplied by the DCMS and The FA.

As a Committee we will be meeting to discuss what this means for the current season based around football not being able to re-start until mid-February at the earliest. We will communicate any plans and updates in due course.

Please stay safe and thank you for your ongoing support.

FA Annoucment:

'NON-ELITE' FOOTBALL SUSPENDED FOLLOWING LATEST COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS

We note the UK Government’s announcement on Monday 4 January with regards to the new national COVID-19 restrictions and lockdown.

As a result, the impact on ‘non-elite’ football in England will include the suspension of fixtures and training across the following with immediate effect:

Steps three to six of the National League System

Tiers three to seven of the Women’s Football Pyramid

Regional NLS feeder leagues

Barclays FA WSL Academy League (unless under elite status)

FA Girls Regional Talent Clubs (unless under elite status)

All indoor and outdoor youth and adult grassroots football, including under-18s (except organised outdoor football for disabled people, which is allowed to continue)

Vitality Women’s FA Cup (which is currently classified as ‘non-elite’ at this stage in the competition)

It is extremely important that clubs, players, coaches, match officials, league officials, volunteers, parents, carers and facility providers adhere to the Government’s new national COVID-19 lockdown restrictions and we implore everyone to follow these.

Dialogue will continue with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, leagues, competitions and County Football Associations and we will provide further updates for the 2020-21 Vitality Women’s FA Cup, Buildbase FA Vase and ‘non-elite’ football when relevant.

We would like to thank the football community once again for its hard work, resilience and understanding during such an incredibly challenging period for both the game and wider society.

Cheers,

Jonathan Brown

Secretary, Chiltern Youth Football League

Source - The FA https://www.thefa.com/news/2021/jan/04/covid-19-update-20200401

Update Regarding Football in January

Thursday 31st December 2020

Further to the previous communications circulated regarding the continuation of youth football in the current Tier 4 situation, we wish to confirm that The FA have advised that Under 18's can continue to play. The statement is attached below:-

COVID-19 guidance for 'non-elite' football updated following Tier 4 announcements (thefa.com)

In light of this information and having today discussed with the other youth football leagues in Bedfordshire, the CYFL has decided that we will continue with our plans to re-start our season on Sunday 10th January 2021. The FA has ruled that the areas of Luton, Central Bedfordshire, Bedford and Milton Keynes are included in the same 'bubble' for the purpose of youth football, so we will be able to arrange games for all teams within the league (other than those who are Hertfordshire based, who have been notified of this).

Whilst appreciating that The FA have confirmed that youth football can continue, we respect the fact that some people will be reluctant to allow their children to play in the current circumstances. In light of this, our approach will be to organise games for those who wish to play, whilst if teams do not wish to play, the games will be cancelled without penalty (providing notice is given by 9pm on the Thursday prior to the Sunday of the game). Cancellation of games after this point will be referred for a charge of non-fulfilment, as we feel that this is fair to all concerned to allow them to plan accordingly.

Please note that for any games that do proceed, they MUST be played in accordance with the latest COVID-19 guidance.

COVID-19 Risk assessments must be in place,
Social distancing must be observed on the touchlines by all spectators and club officials
Ideally, we would suggest that parental representation is reduced to one representative per player
Face coverings must be worn by any person entering the field of play to tend to an injured player
There must be 2 hygiene breaks to allow players to hand sanitise (one in each half).

To enable this process to be implemented as seamlessly as possible, we would therefore ask that all teams engage with their players and parents asap and provide an indication of their plans to Tony Gee and myself by Sunday 3rd January 2021 so that the appropriate fixtures can be arranged. At this stage, the onus is on the clubs to advise of their intentions - there is no pressure to play if you do not wish to. However please note that if we do not hear from you, fixtures will be arranged. Your support with this is appreciated so that we have a clear indication of intentions and do not cause unnecessary work for League Officers when arranging games and referees and for the opposing teams. Please ensure that you check whether your pitch is available when indicating if you wish to play.

As we are aware, we are living in uncertain times, with the picture changing continually and we will continue to monitor any developments and review any advice that is given by the DCMS and The FA.

Wishing you all a happy and safe New Year.

Jonathan Brown

Secretary, Chiltern Youth Football League

Flitwick Eagles U11 are Awarded their Sporting Trophy for 2019/20!

Monday 14th December 2020

Flitwick Eagles receiving their Sporting Trophy Award for winning the Under 11 Section for season 2019/20.

The Award is one every team should be striving to win as it is based on the sportsmanship marks they receive from their opponents after each game. Teams are marked out of 10 and Flitwick Eagles received a magnificent 9.66

League Chairman Peter Brown is seen handing the Under 11 Winners Shield to the Flitwick Eagles Captain on a very wet and cold Sunday morning (13th December 2020).

Update from FA regarding the Lockdown commencing on Thursday 5th Novemeber

Tuesday 3rd November 2020

The Football Association [The FA] has provided an update for ‘non-elite’ football in England following the UK Government’s announcement on new national Covid-19 restrictions that will be in place from Thursday 5 November 2020 until Wednesday 2 December 2020.

As a result of the UK Government’s new national Covid-19 restrictions, and subject to Members of Parliament voting tomorrow [Wednesday 4 November 2020] and the publication of bespoke guidance from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport [DCMS], the impact on ‘non-elite’ football in England will include the suspension of the following during this period:

All fixtures and training for Steps 3-6 of the National League System [NLS];
All fixtures and training for Tiers 3-7 of the Women’s Football Pyramid [WFP];
All fixtures and training for the Regional NLS Feeder Leagues;
All fixtures and training for The Barclays FA WSL Academy League;
All fixtures and training for FA Girls Regional Talent Clubs;
All fixtures and training for indoor and outdoor youth and adult grassroots football.

The FA’s aim is to ensure that the 2020/21 season is completed at these levels and will liaise with the relevant leagues in the NLS and WFP and the County Football Associations [CFAs] to provide support and establish appropriate options to do so if required.

The UK Government has confirmed that school sport can continue as an exemption during this period.

In addition, the UK Government has confirmed that all Emirates FA Cup First Round fixtures will go ahead as planned this weekend between Friday 6 and Monday 9 November 2020. The ten ‘non-elite’ clubs that remain in the competition will be able to play their fixtures under ‘elite’ protocols. In line with the new national Covid-19 restrictions, these ‘non-elite’ teams are only permitted to train together until Wednesday 4 November 2020.

Further updates on fixtures and dates for the 2020/21 Vitality Women’s FA Cup, The FA Youth Cup, Buildbase FA Trophy and Buildbase FA Vase will follow in due course.

Re-starting football at these levels has taken substantial determination and commitment from stakeholders across the game and The FA would like to thank everyone for their vital contributions. However, health and wellbeing remain the priority, so it is extremely important that clubs, players, coaches, match officials, league officials, volunteers, parents, carers and facility providers adhere to the UK Government’s new national Covid-19 restrictions during this period.

The FA remains in dialogue with the DCMS, leagues, competitions and CFAs and will provide further clarification for ‘non-elite’ football in England following the debate in the House of Commons tomorrow.

An update from the CYFL Committee to follow by the end of the week.

Ball Presentation

Saturday 17th October 2020

Newcomers to the League, MK Athletic have made a quick impression since joining the CYFL. Following their good administration, good Respect marks and excellent feedback from referees of their opening matches the League Management Committee decided to present the Club with one of the special ' Get Things Right' M and S Water Services Ltd. sponsored match balls. League Welfare Officer, John Thomas, went along to their recent home match and invited the match referee, Oguz Isak to present the team with their Award.

Members of the League Management Committee will be out and about on forthcoming Sundays to present more Match balls to Clubs who have been 'Getting Things Right' in the first couple of months of the season.

Message from Jon Brown - League Secretary

Friday 9th October 2020

After a wet weekend last weekend where we lost a number of games due to waterlogged pitches, we are looking forward to a better Sunday weather-wise!

Here are some updates and reminders for this week; please can you ensure that you digest these and circulate the information to your managers and administrators. In this update the following subjects are covered:-

Fixtures

Referees

Online Match Report Forms

Free Week Requests

Transfers

Handbooks

Communication with League Officers

RESPECT Awards

Fixtures - last week, despite the wet weather, we still had 59 games completed - thank you to those who withstood the conditions and played their games! We are still suffering from some games being cancelled due to the COVID-19 situation and as referenced last week, we would ask that in the event that school classes or years are asked to self-isolate, the club forwards the 'School Notice of COVID' onto Tony Gee so that we have all the necessary information. Whilst understanding that people are understandably concerned, we need to be aware that the cancellation of games could have an impact on the season being completed satisfactorily.

Referee Allocation - we had 83% coverage last week, so although marginally down week on week, the overall coverage remains strong.

Please remember to contact your referee in a timely manner to confirm the game, which is especially important at present with some kick-off times being staggered due to COVID-19 restrictions at some facilities. If there is an issue, please communicate this to Brian and Steve to give them a chance to try and sort something out for you. Similarly, in the instance where a referee does not arrive or cancels, although we would still expect the game to be played, with a volunteer stand-in referee, let them know so that we can follow up with the referee.

Online Match Report Forms - Unfortunately, despite numerous warnings and 2 weeks worth of amnesty for clubs, we still had 9 teams who had not completed their online match result forms by the 9 pm on Tuesday deadline. More worryingly, there are still numerous teams who have not completed their forms from 20th and 27th September, which is really disappointing. Those teams will now be receiving notice of a fine and a further deadline for completion, or else they will be disqualified from playing. No one wants that, but the completion of admin is a requirement of being a member of the league and if we do not enforce the rules, we downplay the good administration of those teams who do complete in a timely manner.

Also, just a reminder on how to complete the forms

completed by 9 pm on the Tuesday after the Sunday game. If there are any issues with completion, please let Tony Gee and myself know asap
Referee mark is out of 100 and ALL referees are to be marked, even volunteer/stand-in officials. Please also put the name of the volunteer/stand-in official in the comment box
RESPECT mark for the opposition is out of 10

On the Wednesday after the game, those clubs who have not completed their form will be charged and notified via email by myself

Free Week Requests - each club is permitted to make 3 requests during the season, which must be made in writing (email) to Tony Gee, giving a months notice. Please note that games will be scheduled for all Sundays (including half terms and Bank Holidays) and the only days that we will not schedule games are Sunday 27th December, Sunday 3rd January and Sunday 4th April. Please note that the next available date to request a free Sunday is now Sunday 15th November.

Transfers - a reminder that the transfer window opened on 1st October, meaning that players can now transfer between teams in the CYFL. This week we have processed 3 transfers, all of which were completed with a minimum of fuss, so thank you to those clubs involved, meaning that the players who are transferring are eligible to play this coming Sunday.

Please note that transfers are processed via myself and owing to the social distancing guidelines, the following amended process will apply. The need for a transfer form has been removed to eliminate the need for unnecessary face to face contact and the entire process can now be completed electronically via email.

any player requesting a transfer must ensure that their existing club is given 7-day notice of intent/approach. This must be made in writing (email), by the club who wishes to sign the player, copying myself in, to the current club secretary
The existing club secretary has 7 days to acknowledge and approve the transfer; the only reason to object to the transfer is if the player owes money or has not returned the kit to their current club. Approval or any objection must be made in response to the email to the new club and myself
A request for a transfer is to be actioned on WGS by the new club
The existing club can approve the transfer on WGS
Only when the above has been completed AND the payment of the £20 administration fee has been completed (paid via BACS to the CYFL Back Account) will the transfer be completed by myself and the player will be eligible to play for their new team
The process will operate smoothly if the process is followed
Parents are not to be involved in the process. All communication is to be made between myself and the 2 clubs involved

Handbooks - as referenced previously, we are now in receipt of the printed copies of the handbook and the following clubs who have paid for their handbooks are asked to contact the CYFL Chairman, Peter Brown on 01234 741961 to arrange either collection or delivery. The handbooks are currently in Houghton Conquest, so if anyone is passing there and wishes to collect, please feel free to book a suitable time or alternatively we will make arrangements to deliver to you

Baldock Town
Kempston Rovers Colts
Leighton United
Stotfold Junior
Walton MK

The following clubs have ordered handbooks, but as yet have not paid for them, so when making arrangements for collection or delivery, they will be required to make payment (£3 per handbook)

AFC Oakley £15 (5 copies)
Blunham Youth. £12 (4 copies)
International Real. £51 (17 copies)
Luton Allstars. £9 (3 copies)
M&DH Clapham. £27 (9 copies)
Newport Pagnell Town. £12 (4 copies)
St Joseph Youth. £6 (2 copies)

Communication with League Officers - a couple of points here! Firstly, we have a number of new officers on the Management Committee who are not necessarily familiar with the names of club secretaries and managers. To make things easier and more efficient, please can you ensure that any correspondence contains details of which team you are referring to!

And secondly, please can I ask that you direct queries to the correct officer as this will avoid unnecessary delays in responding! Please refer to my previous update for a summary of who deals with what! Or if in doubt please send to me and I will advise and re-distribute!

RESPECT Awards - we have our first Management Committee Meeting this coming week and we will be reviewing the behaviour and administration of teams over the opening weeks of the season, to see if anyone should be recognised with an award of a match ball. We have already received some reports from referees of good behaviour of teams (as well as some of the not-so-good behaviour!) and it would be great if we received some nominations from opposing teams as well! Just something to consider!

Cheers

A message from the league sponsor and League Chairman

Monday 14th September 2020

The League Management Committee, and in particular the Officers, have been working hard over recent weeks to prepare the League for re-start. Thank you to all the Clubs for their support and patience during this period. With the decision not to charge Clubs a subscription for Season 2020/21 the support of our sponsors for this season is even more important. We are delighted to be entering our seventh season as the M&S Water Services Chiltern Youth Football League, and thank them for their continued support.
Thomas Harkin, Business Development Manager of M&S Water Services said –
“we are delighted to continue our support of the Chiltern Youth Football League who are providing the opportunity for young people to play sport during these difficult times. We hope our support encourages more teams to continue running and new teams to start up. We wish everyone connected with the League a successful, and most of all an enjoyable season.”

Season Start Delay

Tuesday 1st September 2020

All,
Hope you are all well,
Following a weekend working towards preparing the league for a re-start, the Officers of the CYFL Management Committee convened an emergency meeting last night, at which the regrettable decision was made to delay the start of the 2020-21 season by 1 week, from Sunday 13th September to Sunday 20th September.
Unfortunately having reviewed the situation of many areas that are required to ensure that the league is ready to start, it would appear that
delays with teams registering with their necessary County FA's, thus delaying the transfer of data from the WGS to Full-time,
the impact of the above on fixture scheduling
a deficiency in predicted player registration numbers
a large number of clubs still unaware of the availability of their pitches for the coming season
a challenge with referee registration numbers and potential availability
general concerns over the return of children to schools after the summer break
meant that the Officers had a concern over the viability of proceeding with the original start date of 13th September.
It was felt that to give clubs enough time to plan effectively over the coming weeks and to avoid confusion over some teams potentially starting and others not, a delay of one week would allow everyone the opportunity for a successful re-start on Sunday 20th September.
We are sorry for any disappointment that this decision will cause, but felt that in the circumstances, this was the most pragmatic approach.
Please keep an eye out for future updates and I am looking to schedule a virtual pre-season meeting for all clubs next week (date to be confirmed) when we will discuss match day guidance for the re-start.

League Announcement

Monday 22nd June 2020

THERE ARE RUMOURS CIRCULATING THAT CONTACT GAMES ARE TAKING PLACE.

CONTACT GAMES ARE NOT PERMITTED AS PER FA GUIDELINES

PLEASE DO NOT BREAK THE RULES

Player Registration 2020/21

Saturday 20th June 2020

Player registration will be available on Whole Game System from the 1st July.
The details required remain the same.
Any issues contact Emma Vase - Registration Secretary.

League Update

Tuesday 16th June 2020

The current issue with Covid-19 continues to cause the grassroots game ongoing problems.
The latest FA advice is as follows;
'Hope for the best, plan for the worst'
On the plus side clubs are now allowed to resume some form of individual training sessions but they must be run following the guidelines that have been sent out by the FA.
Stay safe and take care.

League Statement

Monday 30th March 2020

All,

Hope that you are keeping well at these challenging times.

Following on from The FA's announcement towards the end of the last week, that all grassroots football for the season 2019-20 has been cancelled and the season is over, we have had chance to consider the decisions that have been made and the implications that these have on the CYFL. In addition, all the leagues in Bedfordshire have discussed their thoughts to ensure that we are aligned in our thinking and approach to these unprecedented times.

As such, I would like to advise the following:-

All matches played to date will become VOID.
All other matches will be DELETED from Full Time.
All cup competitions will end and all records will be DELETED.
NO LEAGUE POSITIONS WILL BE DETERMINED, and therefore no awards will be made.
NO CUP FINALS WILL BE HELD and no medals/cups awarded.

In addition to the above, I would like to update you on some other league business that is scheduled for the coming months.

The Management Committee will be considering other measures that may be taken to reduce the pressures on Clubs to get started again. These will be announced to Clubs, in due course, which will in all likelihood be towards the end of April which is when I will be circulating the application forms for the 2020-21 season.

At present, our AGM which is scheduled for Monday 15th June 2020. I appreciate that this may need to change, but we can review that as time passes.
Our proposed start date for next season is Sunday 13th September (which is our traditional start date as the 2nd Sunday of September). However we are proposing that the season does not start until after the schools go back (which is consistent with other youth leagues in Bedfordshire) so this maybe delayed if the schools have not returned back for the Autumn term. Again we can review that as time passes.

As with everyone, we are disappointed with the way that the season has finished, but appreciate that at this difficult time, there are other issues facing people which take priority over football. However we hope that everyone can stay safe and will be in a position to resume football, as and when the situation improves and it is safe to do so.

Thanks,

Jonathan Brown
Secretary, Chiltern Youth Football League

Bedfordshire FA Statment - Covid-19

Monday 15th June 2020

CEO Alan Young said: “The following Bedfordshire Football Leagues and the County Football Association have decided that ALL affiliated fixtures from 13th March – 22nd March 2020 and ALL County Cup games up until 31st March 2020 have been suspended.
Bedford County Football League
Bedford & District Sunday League
Leighton & District Sunday League
North Home Counties Sunday League
Chiltern Youth League
Chiltern Junior Sevens
Bedfordshire Youth Saturday League
Bedfordshire FA Girls Football League
Bedfordshire Mini Soccer League
The welfare of players, volunteers, referees and supporters is of paramount importance and the Bedfordshire FA will continue to coordinate with our stakeholder and make further announcements in due course.”

Press Release - M&S Water Services LTD

Tuesday 3rd March 2020

The M&S Water Chiltern Youth League is proud and delighted to announce that M&S Water Services (Utilities) Ltd have agreed to extend their sponsorship of the Chiltern Youth Football League. The 2020/21 season will be the seventh consecutive season that the League has been supported by M & S Water Services.

League Chairman, Peter Brown, said ‘we are so pleased that M & S Water a Services are to continue their support of the League for a further season. This enables us to continue subsidising the annual subscription paid by Member Clubs; meaning every team benefits and we can continue the Get it Right scheme where Clubs are rewarded for good discipline, sportsmanship and conduct on and off the field of play, together with good administration receiving special match balls. We are extremely grateful to M & S Water Services and look forward to continue working with them to promote Youth Football in Bedfordshire and the neighbouring counties.’

Thomas Harkin , Business Development Manager of M & S Water Services commented ‘We a delighted to be able to continue our support of a local football league. As local football is on the decline we hope our support encourages more teams to continue running and new teams to start up. M&S Water Services want to support the local community and we are delighted to have renewed our support of the league for a further two years.’

CYFL New Officer Appointments

Sunday 1st March 2020

We would like to announce the appointment of Four new officers to the League

PM Referee Appointments Secretary
The M&S Water Services Ltd. Chiltern Youth Football League is very pleased to announce the appointment of Brian Cooper as the League's referee appointment Secretary for the afternoon fixtures (Under 15, Under 16, Under 17 and Under 18 sections) with immediate affect.
Brian has vast experience in refereeing and is a Level 5, Senior County Referee. He has been a good supporter of the League over a number of years, having combined his refereeing experiences with running a team throughout the age groups. Brian, who lives in Bedford is well respected by his refereeing peers and is looking forward to bringing this experience and his energy to the role and working with the Management Committee to provide an exceptional experience to the member clubs.
We look forward to Brian joining the team. He will be working alongside Tony Gee for the remainder of the season, with the aim to take on the role full time from the start of the 2020 / 21 season. The Management Committee thank Mr. Gee for his hard work over the past few months, stepping into the role at short notice following the withdrawal of the Central Appointments System within Bedfordshire.

Registration Secretary
The M&S Water Chiltern Youth Football League is very pleased to announce
the appointment of Emma Vase as the League's New Registration Secretary with
immediate effect.
Emma has vast experience in local football administration and is already
fully conversant with the League's Rules and Regulations and in particular
the process for the Registration of players from her work as Secretary of
AFC Oakley football club.
Emma will be continuing in her role with AFC Oakley as club secretary and is
really looking forward to starting this role and joining the league.
We are very pleased to welcome Emma to the team.

Media Officer
The M&S Water Chiltern Youth Football League is very pleased to announce the appointment of Melissa Wing as the League's Media Officer.
Melissa plays football (fullback) for Flitwick Eagles FC Ladies and is at present studying at The University of Bedfordshire following a course in Sports Development and Management.
Melissa will be looking to enhance the League's website, promoting the League on Social Media and helping to produce the match programmes for the League Cup Finals.
The League are delighted to have recruited Melissa and welcome her to the team.

Child Welfare Officer
The M&S Water Services Ltd. Chiltern Youth Football League is pleased to announce the appointment of John Thomas as the Leagues's Child Welfare Officer.

John has been a member of the League's Management Committee for the past 4 years having previously been a great servant to refereeing on the League.

John now lives in Bletchley and we looking forward to him developing his work on the Management Committee with this new role.

John will move into the role from the start of the 2020 / 21 season and further details will be provided to clubs in due course around how John will be able to assist them with any child welfare queries that may arise.