GrassRoots Magazine June Issue 8

Sohere we are at the end of another Season, whether this is your 1st or 21st I hope that you have all enjoyed yourselves & are looking forward to the new season already. With the summer now here it’s time to recharge the batteries & get ready for the new season as before we know it, we will all be back out there. Spare a thought the leagues that are still busy organising AGM’s, fixtures etc. & your Club Secretaries that have the task of affiliating each team & registering the players, so not everyone’s job is done.

We have had the pleasure of meeting & interviewing Simon & Mark, authors of the book ‘Accidental Manager’ please check out page 10. I’ve started reading this book and from the first page I can relate things I’ve experienced.

Congratulations to all the Saturday league & cup winners.

Enjoy the summer

Grassroots Magazine team

grassrootsmag@btinternet.com

This Months Content

Reach Every Generation

Kit Aid

Accidental Manager

Match Fit

Adult Leagues

Youth Leagues

Forever Finley Charity Team

Players wated Notice Board

Farleigh’s The Clarets

Page 4

Page 6

Page 10

Page 18

Page 22

Page 23

Page 26

Page

32

Page 39

Page 44

Reach Every Generation provide mentoring and coaching for young people across Essex, particularly those who may be at risk of grooming and exploitation or being drawn into crime and violence. In Spring 2021 we decided to form a community football club in Chelmsford which would serve as a safe, supportive environment for young people to get into football, playing alongside older and more experienced players who could act as positive role models and encourage their development.

Reach Every Generation FC entered the Chelmsford Sunday League in the Men’s Division 5, and we have just completed out second full competitive season. Our aim has always been to be competitive in the league and strive for trophies, whilst balancing that with a resolve to support our young and inexperienced players in their development on and off the football pitch.

The club has quickly established itself as a competitive force in the league, finishing 3rd in Division 5 this season and enjoying runs to the semi-final and the round of 16 in the League Cup and County Cup respectively. Our ambition is to continue to improve and hopefully secure silverware next season.

Gavin McKenna is the Founder of Reach Every Generation and acts as the club’s chairman, taking an active role in maintaining the club’s ethos and principles, and occasionally dusting off his boots for a game in centre mid. Gavin will also take over interim management of the squad for the 23/24 season, while Manager Ben Gribble takes extended paternity leave.

Ben has managed the club since it’s inception and also serves as the Club Secretary. He too has occasionally put his boots on for a run out in defence when numbers have been short but prefers to run things from the sidelines. In his day job, Ben is the Youth Mentor Team Leader for Reach Every Generation’s ‘Building Lives Project’, and some of the young people he has mentored have gone on to represent REG FC on a Sunday Morning.

As we look ahead to the 23/24 season, we find ourselves searching for a new first team goalkeeper to replace our outgoing number 1, but we would also welcome players of any position who wish to come along to our pre-season training sessions this summer and maybe sign up for the team. You will find a friendly, inclusive atmosphere and dedicated coaching to help players reach the top of their game. Pre-season is scheduled to begin in mid-July, on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. For more details or if you want to get involved, please email us at REGFC1@gmail.com or message us on our socials.

Instagram – @reacheverygenerationfc

Twitter - @REGFC2

Facebook – Reach Every Generation FC

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Great KitAid Road Trip

In this KitAid's 25th Anniversary year, local KitAid Volunteer Barrie Neal has taken up the challenge to visit 25 football grounds across Essex, where he is to photograph the KitAid banner.

Undertaking the KitAid challenge Barrie is collecting funds for KitAid's work at a JustGiving site https://www.justgiving.com/page/roadtrip-essex1677775751739 which provides more details. Updates on the progress being made is also being provided on a dedicated twitter account at EssexRoadTrip2023 @Trip2023E .

Great support has already come from visits so far to Broomfield FC, Springfield FC, Wilvale Rangers FC and Runwell Sports FC.

Runwell Sporting FC have also gone the 'extra mile' providing pitch side advertising (using their own KitAid banner) and made a massively appreciated and much needed financial donation direct to KitAid too.

Can Barrie visit your ground and photograph the KitAid banner ?

If you are interested in Barrie adding your ground to the Essex KitAid Road Trip please let him know so that he can schedule it into the list of 25 grounds to be visited this year. He will just want to agree a time that he could photograph the banner at your ground. His JustGiving site is also open if you are able to make any financial donation to his KitAid fundraising effort: https://www.justgiving.com/page/roadtrip-essex1677775751739

KIT COLLECTION AND DONATIONS

The focus of KitAid's work, is of course the collection of unwanted football kit & equipment and its distribution to areas of the world where the game is loved, but participation is held back by lack of access to kit & equipment.

Most recent collection and distribution totals show just how close the charity is to reaching the magic 1 million items of kit & equipment shared and spreading smiles for the love of the game.

6,080 items donated in April

43,215 items donated in 2023

977,112 items donated since 1998

22,888 items to go until the 1 million.

Do you have any unwanted

kit to donate ?

Our clubs across Essex, with schools and local people, have been providing kit donations for many years now - but the 25th Anniversary year is extra special. If you anticipate having any unwanted kit or equipment this year you might consider contacting local KitAid volunteer Barrie on barrie.2014@yahoo.co.uk

Mayland Village FC have had pictures back of their own substantial kit donation, which is now spreading smiles for the love of the game in a rural village in Zimbabwe:

Local referee around Basildon area

Charlie Forrest TEL: 07377999847

All youth sides are £20 a game

And over 18's are £40 a game

Happy and willing to commute to surrounding areas

CLICK HERE: For my Facebook page 'FFR’ (Forrest footballing referee’)

IF YOU ARE A REFEREE AND WOULD LIKE TO ADVERTISE PLEASE CALL 07752 178637, OR EMAIL: grassrootsmag@btinternet

The grassroots boys met up with Simon & Mark to ask them some questions about their newly released book THE ACCIDENTAL MANAGER. It’s a book all about the ups and downs of Youth Grassroots Management warts & all!!

Q: What made you write the book in the first place?

A: My last season I'd experienced absolute roller coaster of ups and downs doing it. It had a real impact on my mental health along the way, there were times when I didn't want to do it, but I did it anyway because of the kids and it ended so well and I realised there was a story to be told. Both my own personal story, but we really must raise awareness of some of these issues in football.

And I would agree on this. We've been involved. We were part of the problem. Make no mistake, we've not in any way made ourselves out to be Saints. We’ve behaved in ways that we probably shouldn't have done.

Q: Do you think Kids football is improving with all the Respect initiatives?

A: I went to a match only this year and it was worse than when I was involved, so I think more has to be done to raise awareness of what children are having to go through every Sunday because it's not fair, due to the way parents and coaches conduct themselves.

A lot of adults involved are not really making the experience as good as it should be for the kids, I saw a lot of bad things going on within the clubs and leagues and it goes back to the volunteer thing. Yeah, I get that, we're all volunteers. We all deserve respect, but that shouldn't give us a licence to conduct ourselves in the wrong way.

I was trying to find something that I could read to do with grassroots football that may help me but most books for grassroots were all pretty much about coaching.

Q: Has there been any interaction from the FA? Have they seen this is, has anyone contacted?

A: No. We've got some decent contacts, we connected to Billericay Town and the guys there have been most helpful. A big thankyou to Nicky, who does the photos. He took the photo for the front cover, he runs the press and put us in touch with a lot of people. I also know a couple of the explayers one of which is Ricky Modeste to who's a friend of mine, he helped us with the book and also wrote the foreword which was great”

But no, we haven't had any direct contact with any leagues. I tried contacting one of the grassroots associations a while back to see if we could get work together, for some support. And it was made very clear to me that they weren't in any way Interested. I was even accused of wanting free advertising, which isn't what we're trying to do at all.

Q: What was your inspiration?

A: The thing that gave me the idea was I found a book called “Junior Football – it’s not a man’s game.” It is about this exact subject, and it was written by a guy called Steve O’Donoghue who's a really nice guy from Manchester. It’s a great read and it's very much along the same lines as what we're doing. We also thought our own journey was interesting and it was important to raise awareness of the problems in the junior game

Q: What makes your book different to other football books?

A: There are 1000’s of books telling you about how you should do things, but none of them tell you how you shouldn’t do something. There are no guidelines for that. Lots of books tell you how to set up drills and the logistics of football coaching, but none of them cover the important bits. How you deal with children, how you conduct yourself, how parents should conduct themselves around children playing football. Think how parents conduct themselves at other sports like gymnastics, swimming and tennis when they sit there quietly and watch and let the coach just coach.

Q: Who's your target audience?

A: I think anybody involved in junior football, dads who have got kids in football and obviously other managers. I guarantee there will be a story in the book that will relate to you, someone you know, even something you have witnessed, the frustrations dealing with a league or a club or even a parent. In the book there is a part about parents, where we describe 5 types of Parents. I defy anybody in any team to say that I have not got one of the 5. I’d love to meet that person. I'd like to go and watch that team play.

Q: How long did it take for you to write it?

A: I started in early 2020 soon after I stepped down from junior football, but then during Covid and business pressures, not much happened for two years. Mark got involved in early 2022 and we really pushed on and the first draft was done by end of last year

Q: What will people enjoy about the book?

Just me personally, I think the honesty that we've tried to get across and how we were part of the problem at times. You quickly become so consumed with it that you do become part of the problem. I didn't realise some of the times I would behave in such a way. My wife would be over the other side of the pitch, she’d say afterwards, “oh, you shouldn't have done that” and I would think she’s right. I shouldn't behave like that, but in the moment it's how football grabs you. Whether you’re down Southend watching it in the terraces, or in the London stadium watching the mighty West Ham. You can get so engrossed; you get lost in the moment. But when you are standing in the terraces, the professional players probably can't hear what you're saying.

Q: What’s next?

Well, if this goes well, we've got some ideas in the background. We thought that we'd like to follow up with maybe another book, or maybe some form of documentary. But yeah, we both feel quite strongly about continuing to raise awareness.

We would like to thanks to Simon & Mark, great guys and really trying to raise awareness of the uncomfortable truth of junior football. We wish them every success with their book THE ACCIDENTAL MANAGER.

MEGA INFLATABLES PROVIDING BOUNCY

CASTLE HIRE IN ESSEX FOR MEGA FUN FOR EVERYONE!

• Bouncy castles

• Assault courses

• Activity castles

• Inflatables games

• Slides

• Adults Bouncy castles

• Disco Dome

• Photo Booth

• Mega Marquees

• Wedding packages

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Grassroots Magazine would like to support Essex Charity FC with their CLUB APPEAL!!

Unfortunately, all of us at Essex Charity Football Club have been rocked by some sad news about of club Chairman Dave Neill.

For those who are not aware Dave has unfortunately been battling cancer for a while now that returned after 7 years and has been going through extensive treatment to cure him from this horrible disease. Unfortunately, Dave and is family have been given the sad news that his treatment has failed, and the NHS have advised there is nothing they specially can do, and the only option now is to try private treatment.

We are sure you can imagine that private treatment is extremely expensive but what we can tell you is that this man is a fighter and along with the support of us and his loved ones will do everything we can to try and get him the treatment he so badly needs and deserves.

With that said a GoFund me page has been set up below for anyone who would like to donate. Now we appreciate that time are tough for everyone so if you are unable to donate, we would massively appreciate it if you could share the page so we can spread the message fare and wide throughout the community.

Dave, we love you man, and we are all behind you and with you in this fight.

Fundraiser by David Neill : Help Dave Beat His Cancer (gofundme.com)

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MATCHFIT

It’s fair to say that the mention of footwork brings images of speed or agility ladders to mind, but in terms of improving foot speed and coordination for football, hours spent on ladder drills needn’t be the central focus.

FOOTBALL FOOTWORK

Efficient footwork in football is enhanced when you can more effectively separate the movements of your lower body from those of your upper body. Imagine a player jockeying another player on the pitch. They’re not jumping in for a tackle, they’re just trying to slow them down or guide them to wherever they want to go.

To do this, the upper body needs to hold a strong and stable position and your arms need to provide balance whilst the feet quickly shift into whatever position or angle is required to keep up with the opposing player. Hip mobility is a key component of creating this hinge effect, allowing your lower body to move at speed independently from your upper body.

An excellent exercise that works on hip mobility, balance, lateral speed and footwork quickness and coordination is the carioca drill: • From a standing start, step to the left with your left leg

o Cross your right leg over in front of your left leg to continue travelling left

o Step to the left with your left leg

o Cross your right leg behind your left leg to continue travelling left

o Step to the left with your left leg and repeat the pattern

o Aim to get up on your toes and pick up the pace

o Switch direction to repeat the pattern with your right leg leading the way and left leg crossing over in front and behind

EFFICIENT MOVEMENT

Football specific footwork is fast-paced and this means the lower body needs to produce a lot of force in a short period of ground contact time to be able to move around the pitch efficiently.

One way to improve efficiency is to use plyometric exercises. These include static or dynamic jumps that focus on using the minimum amount of ground contact time to jump as high or as far as possible. To transfer into football, these jumps need to mimic the sideways, backwards and forwards movements required in a game, not just vertical leaps from the ground. For example, instead of doing pogo jumps on the spot, jump around to different positions to reflect the 360-degree range of movement needed on the pitch

HURDLES The aim of a plyometric exercise is to improve the ability to move explosively by training ankle stiffness, utilising a mechanism called the stretch shortening cycle which stores elastic energy in the rear of the lower leg. When optimal ankle stiffness can be achieved (not too stiff to limit movement but not too loose to result in lost energy and prolonged ground contact times) you increase your potential to move more explosively. Hurdles are not necessary for this type of work in their truest sense, however using them can increase the intent in each push-off or landing which is crucial for effective plyometrics.

Plyometric exercises using hurdles and conditioning the stretch shortening cycle mechanism include:

o Two footed hurdle jumps

o Single leg hurdle hops

o Multi-directional hops and jump

o Hurdle run throughs and many more

DIFFERENT SPORTS AND DIFFERENT POSITIONS

Exposing yourself to different sports brings with it a range of different footwork and movement patterns. The more experience you have of different patterns, the more movement literate you become, making it easier to adapt to changing situations in a game of football.

An example of this might be finding yourself with muddled feet when up against an attacker using a new skill to try and get passed you. The bigger your background in terms of playing other sports, the quicker you can adapt to the movements needed in any given situation.

KEY POINT:

Playing different sports can be used as an element of a football warm up at training. Several football teams incorporate other sports into training. Basketball is a popular one and also the England team has been seen playing with a Nerf American football.

The same effect can also be gained through playing in different positions. A striker’s movement patterns are quite different to those of a left back, but there can be times in a game when a striker is in the left back position. This can mean being exposed to different or unknown types of movement, so by putting yourself in different positions in training or in practice games, you gain the experience needed to be able to adapt and deal with changing situations.

LADDER DRILLS

A broad knowledge of different types of footwork will feed into improvements in the specific footwork patterns needed in your position. If you struggle with movement patterns or find it difficult to coordinate the footwork in drills such as the carioca at speed, then ladder drills can be beneficial as they help to develop a better understanding of where your limbs are as you move.

As with all types of speed work, good movement mechanics are essential when using ladders too. There’s no point in adding speed to a movement which is already being performed inefficiently. This will not only limit your speed potential but result in you moving fast without balance, fluidity and control. Perform all ladders movements at sub-maximal speed first to ensure sound mechanics and then gradually try to increase the speed whilst maintaining that form.

KEY POINT:

In terms of developing your speed of footwork for football, ladders and hurdles are a useful training tool but try to think more towards open play activities which require different types of speedy footwork if possible. If you can build up your footwork encyclopaedia from a young age then you’ll be better prepared to succeed in footballing moments which require fast and more complex footwork patterns. The higher the level you reach, the more athletic and well-rounded the players you’ll be competing against will be

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Forever Finley Charity Team

We started back in June 2022 as Forever Finely Charity Team

We started this journey supporting Forever Finley because our chairwoman Melissa and chairman Jack lost their beautiful baby Harper in April 2021. Harper sadly passed away at 31 weeks and was a stillbirth. The amazing forever Finley charity came straight out to us to give us a memory we can always cherish with mould of hands and feet for Harper.

Rob and Charlotte who are co-owners of forever Finley do amazing work and give a bereaved parent a gift that they can cherish forever. Charlotte and Rob lost their baby boy Finley in 2018 and have been helping others no matter what the case! And they are just unbelievably brave in what they do!

We have raised nearly £4,000 in total with donations onto our go fund me page, donations from companies like Howdens have also donated straight to the charity as well.

We would like to thank Charlotte and Rob for everything they have done for us and also Olivia from everlasting memories for the amazing work she puts in.

We as a football charity team have welcomed dads who have also lost their little angels and play every other Friday for a social get together and raise money for forever Finley

Instagram- @foreverfinleyct

Twitter- @foreverfinleyct

Facebook- forever Finley charity team

Football Fitness Club

Established in 2019, Football Fitness Club was formed by two former teammates that had recently retired from the Sunday League game having created a successful Management partnership.

After taking a short break, both missed getting out of the house to train with the lads, so the idea of Football Fitness Club was born. The initial idea was to create a training club for those that had retired from the game, to help players maintain their fitness levels. They quickly realised that the sessions attracted players of all ages & abilities so both decided that they would start taking the FA coaching courses. With the number of players increasing weekly, FFC added another 3 coaches 1 of which had fitness qualifications, they also added equipment so that the sessions could include a range of drills for fitness, agility & games.

With the Pandemic forcing FFC to stop for a while planned sessions were created so they were ready to start up again as soon as possible. A partnership was also established with Mates Mental Health support group who they put on weekly sessions for. This was a great success, so Mates FC was formed & the coaching team helped them complete an unbeaten maiden season.

Football Fitness Club run training sessions every Thursday in Chelmsford.

If you are interested in joining Football Fitness Clubs weekly session, Please contact: footballfitnessclub@btinternet.com

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Grassroots is proud to be supporting Farleigh Hospice

Grassroots Magazine is delighted to be supporting local charity, Farleigh Hospice. In each edition, we will be sharing with you their latest news along with upcoming events that you can get involved in!

Farleigh Hospice has been a cornerstone of our local community since 1982 when, following the death of a lady called Audrey Appleton from cancer, her friends Glenda Lance and Dr Gill Collier launched an appeal to establish hospice services in and around Chelmsford.

Since its creation later that same year, Farleigh has provided hospice care to thousands of people affected by life-limiting illnesses and bereavement across mid Essex. The hospice, which is celebrating its 40th birthday this year, continues to help people to live as actively as possible from the point of diagnosis to the end of their lives, by providing physical and emotional care, free of charge.

As a charity, Farleigh relies on the generosity of the local community to raise the £6 million it needs every year to care and support those who rely on its services. One of the ways that Farleigh engages with the community is through the range of fundraising events it organises throughout the year, which are listed on its websitewww.farleighhospice.org/events

Here we take a look at some of the exciting events coming up… the Annual Quiz, Sponsored Doggy Walk and Autumn Shopping Extravaganza!

You are in for a treat with this summer with Farleigh's exciting programme of fundraising events - there really is something for everyone!

For families, we have our brand-new Splash Out! wet and wild obstacle course at Maldon's Promenade Park.

Those of you seeking an adventurous team building event with a difference will love Midsummer Mudness at the home of Nuclear Races.

Or if you prefer flowerbeds to muddy forests, we have four Open Gardens events, showcasing some of the most beautiful gardens in mid Essex.

You can also organise your own events to raise funds for Farleigh. For support with these please contact our Fundraising team on 01245 457411 or email them here.

For all you Signage Solutions

T-Shirt Printing

Shop Signage

Interior Design

Vehicle Signage

Window Graphics

Logo Design

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CRITICS

SHOEBURY TOWN FC

Chelmsford City Football Club are delighted to announce that Midfielder, Mohammad Dabre, will join the club on 1st July following the expiration of his contract with Swindon Town

The 20-Year-Old Italian will link up with the Clarets as a familiar face having played against the club while on loan with Worthing in 2022/23. Dabre signed a deal with Swindon Town in August 2021 after impressing during his time at the Volenti Academy, making his senior debut for the Robins in a 2-1 EFL Trophy victory over Arsenal U21. Mohammad made 8 appearances during his time with Swindon Town, which also contained loan spells to Chippenham Town, Banbury United and two spells with Worthing. Dabre started the 2021/22 Season with Swindon where he made 5 appearances, including a substitute appearance at the County Ground against Manchester City in the FA Cup Third Round. Later that season he was loaned to National League South side Chippenham Town in February 2022, who at the time were vying for a Play-Off place. Dabre made 13 Appearances for Chippenham, including Twice in the PlayOffs scoring 1 goal. He returned to the Robins where he made 3 appearances at the start of 2022/23 before joining Banbury United on loan, where he was with the Puritans for 5 weeks before joining Worthing in November 2022. Mohammad played 4 games in his first stint at Worthing scoring two goals before returning to Swindon on 1st January 2023. He later would rejoin Worthing on loan in February where he would go on to make a total of 18 appearances, including in a Play-Off Semi-Final, scoring 5 for the Rebels.

Manager Robbie Simpson shared his thoughts “Mo’s a player that we were really interested in as soon as the season finished, we wanted to try and make contact with him. Both times he played against us for Worthing, we thought he was their best player. I watched Worthing a couple of times towards the back end of the season, as there was the chance, we might’ve faced them in the playoffs. One game against Cheshunt, just down the road from me and he was the best player on the pitch that night too. He scored a goal, cleared one off the line, he was just all over the pitch.”

“Mo’s got a bit of everything, he is a young, athletic and energetic player. He’s also strong, for someone of his size, he’s really strong and can keep hold of the ball really well under pressure. Mo can play in multiple positions, he can play as a holding midfield player, and an attacking midfield player. In both games against us, he ended up playing wide left and he can also play wide right so he can really play anywhere across midfield, in an attacking sense and in a defensive sense. He’s a player that is going to add a lot and I’m really excited about bringing Mo to the Football club, he was at Swindon last year and obviously ended up going out on Loan, but I know he’s really hungry to get back into the football league and I’m really thankful that he’s put his trust in us to be able to help him back on that journey. I’m sure the Clarets fans are going to be really looking forward to seeing him play” We look forward to seeing Mo join up with the squad for pre-season and playing in Claret next campaign!

By Josh Verroken

Key dates have been confirmed ahead of the 2023/24 Vanarama National League season.

The first important date in supporters’ diaries is fixture release day on Wednesday 5 July when all clubs announce their schedules for the coming season at 1pm. As previously announced, opening day fixtures will take place on Saturday 5 August with the regular season ending on Saturday 20 April.

Festive fixtures will be scheduled for Saturday 23 December and Boxing Day (December 26) – clubs also have fixtures scheduled for New Year’s Day (January 1) but will be permitted to switch to Saturday 30 December if agreed by both clubs.

The Play-Off Eliminator and Semi-Final matches will take place on the same days across all three divisions as per the list below.

Wembley Stadium will host the National division Promotion Final on Saturday 4 May – Promotion Finals for the North and South division will be held the next day on Sunday 5 May. Round dates for the FA Cup and FA Trophy will be announced in due course.

A full list of the 2023/24 Vanarama National League key dates are as follows:

Fixture Release Day – Wednesday 5 July 2023, 1pm

Opening Day – Saturday 5 August 2023

Final Day – Saturday 20 April 2024

Play-Off Eliminator A (5th v 6th) – Tuesday 23 April 2024

Play-Eliminator B (4th v 7th) – Wednesday 24 April 2024

Play-Off Semi-Finals – Sunday 28 April 2024

National League Promotion Final – Saturday 4 May 2024

National League North/South Promotion Finals – Sunday 5 May 2024