Amateur Football Combination

National Respect Gold Award League 2012

Spirit of Football

Playing in the Spirit of Football, Promoting Fair Play and Respect for All

Preseason Fixture Bureau Open                                                  AFC Representative Team Trials                                                           Rolling Substitutes Trial 2012-13                                                   AFC Annual General Meeting - 29th June 2012                                                   AFC Season 2012-13 Kickoff                                                  AFC Spirit of Football Awards - Citigroup, Old Hamptonians, Dorkinians                                                        Ken Elbourne Club Hospitality Award - London Welsh                                                                David McCarthy Memorial Referee Awards - Malcolm Edwards, Ashley Hickson-Lovence, Keith Hiller                                                           AFC Referees Long Service Awards - Derek Bingham, Malcolm Edwards, David Mann, Don Stewart                                                                    Lorraine Dechamps MBE                                                       FA Respect Awards 2012 - Video and Pictures                                                  AFC Final Club & Team Ratings                                                        London Old Boys Cup AGM & Entries                                                    AFC Constitution Season 2012-13                                                   Amateur Football Combination 2012-13 - Rolling Substitutions Proposal                                                  Amateur Football Combination - National Respect Gold Award League                                                      LOB Senior Cup Final - Monday 21st May at Dulwich Hamlet FC                                                  AFC Annual Dinner and Presentation of Trophies - Thursday 24th May 2012 at The Oval - Ticket Details                                                      AFC League Administrator Advert                                                  Yorkshire Amateur League 2 Amateur Football Combination 3 - Match Report                                                  AFA Refereeing Courses                                                   Old Bromleians Charter Standard                                                   Jamie Brunton Away                                                   AFC Club Marks to 23rd March                                                   Yorkshire Old Boys vs AFC - Saturday 7th April                                                      Chertsey Old Salesians                                               Old Meadonians in 1 West                                                  Bob Coates away                                                  Old Camdenians withdrawal                                                  AFC 2 Arthurian League 0                                                      RBL Loughton Resignation                                                    Spring Cups 2012                                                    AFC Trophies due for Return                                                AFC League Roles 2012-13 - Get Involved                                                    Player Registration and Team Sheets                                                   SMS Results for Cup Games                                                   Double Headers                                                   Full-Time Passwords                                                    Full-Time Mobile Site                                                    AFC Club Ratings to 10th February 2012                                                    AFC Rules - Maximum Three Substitutes                                                    Match Day Reminders                                                  Spirit of Football/Respect Reminders for 2011-12

Amateur Football Combination - 2011-12 Season News

AFC Annual General Meeting (Jun 2012) - Clubs and officers are reminded that the highlight of the year, the AFC Annual General Meeting, will be held at 6.30pm on Friday 29th June 2012, at London Welsh on the Grays Inn Road. Full details will be sent out in due course, but you are reminded that all clubs must be represented. There is a bar upstairs for those who wish to partake afterwards.

AFC 2012-13 Season Kickoff (Jun 2012) - The 2012-13 Amateur Football Combination season will kick off on Saturday 8th September 2012 for Premier, Senior and Intermediate Divisions, and Saturday 15th September 2012 for all other divisions (though note that County Cup fixtures may begin earlier).

AFC Spirit of Football Awards (Jun 2012) - Congratulations are due to our Spirit of Football Winners, Citigroup, Old Hamptonians and Dorkinians.

Ken Elbourne Club Hospitality Award (Jun 2012) - Congratulations to London Welsh for winning the Ken Elbourne Club Hospitality Award.

AFC Referees Awards (Jun 2012) - Congratulations are due to Malcolm Edwards, Ashley Hickson-Lovence and Keith Hiller, winners of the David McCarthy Memorial Referees Awards, and also to Derek Bingham, David Mann, and Don Stewart, who, as well as Malcolm Edwards were presented with their Referees Long Service Awards at the AFC Dinner.

Lorraine Deschamps MBE (Jun 2012) - Congratulations to AFC referee, Lorraine Deschamps, who has been awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. Lorraine is one of only two female level-four qualified referee tutors in the UK, and the award has been made for her services to sport and diversity. She is also an ambassador for the Football Association and serves on the FA's Race Equality Advisory Group.

Final League Tables (Jun 2012) Click here for a collated set of the final league tables for season 2011-12.

AFC Annual Dinner and Presentation of Trophies (May 2012) - The 2012 AFC Annual Dinner and Presentation of Trophies is being held on Thursday 24th May 2012, at the Oval. Click here for details in Word and PDF format, or for more information please contact Andrew Cashmore-Till, Tel: 07860 512 461.

FA Respect Awards 2012 - Video and Pictures (May 2012) - The Football Association have now provided us with a video and photographs from the Respect Awards ceremony held at Wembley prior to the FA Cup Final. Click here for the video and on the photographs below.

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AFC Final Club & Team Ratings (May 2012) - The final club and team ratings for season 2011-12 have been released. Click here for details.

London Old Boys Cup AGM & Entries (May 2012) - The London Old Boys Cup AGM will be held on Wednesday 13th June. Click here for details, and also for entry forms for 2012-13.

AFC Constitution 2012-13 (May 2012) - Details of the proposed Constitution for season 2012-13 have been published. Click here for more details.

AFC Rolling Substitutions Proposal 2012-13 (May 2012) - At the 2012 Annual General Meeting (Friday 29th June), clubs will be asked to vote on a proposal to allow rolling substitutions within the Amateur Football Combination for season 2012-13, as part of a national pilot within English football. This will only apply to Amateur Football Combination games, other competitions have to make their own decisions.

For a number of years the Football Association has been petitioning FIFA to allow competitions to allow rolling substitutes in adult male football. It is already permitted in most 11-a-side football in this country, namely youth football, women's football and veteran's football, and in a bid to address the continuing decline in adult male 11-a-side football, the FA have been pushing to allow this experiment, to demonstrate it will increase participation. FIFA have granted the FA a two year window (2012-13 and 2013-14) to allow competitions to try it, though the Amateur Football Combination is only proposing a one year experiment, to be reviewed in June 2013.

It is worth emphasising that for many of our players, rolling subs is standard. They're used to it at their 5-a-side, they're used to it from youth football, it's only when they step up to "open aged" football that substitutes are more restricted. They're also used to it in pre-season, the vast majority of AFC pre-season games are played with rolling substitutes.

The Amateur Football Combination proposal is that clubs will continued to be allowed to use three substitutes (the minimum we can specify), but that rolling substitutes will be allowed - we are about people playing football, not watching football. We are also proposing it applies for all divisions, we don't want confusion where one week a player/referee is in a rolling sub division, the next they are not.

There will be one additional administrative requirement. If rolling substitutes are adopted, then every player becomes a potential substitute (because they can leave the pitch and come back on again). This means that the names of all players have to be given to the referee before kick-off, so if adopted the Amateur Football Combination will be requiring teams to provide the referee with a team sheet of players' names before kick-off.

This is a major decision - it will be new for captains/managers to deal with, and may offer more complexity or more flexibility. Providing names of all players to referees will be new, but not exactly a major burden. There are some myths to dispel - youth football isn't full of specialist "throw in takers" - amateur football doesn't have players who only want to be on the pitch for 5-10 minutes! It does not cause anarchy on touchlines - 14 and 15 year old referees handle it in youth football, and they have parents to cope with on the touchline. It will make our football "different" from the Professional Game, but then many of us would argue it is anyway - no goal-line technology coming in the AFC, no fourth officials (nor usually second or third ones) and so forth.

We would ask that clubs consult as widely as possible within their membership in advance of the Annual General Meeting vote. The people who will actually have to make this work are the captains and managers. A copy of this letter has been sent to clubs, referees and officers and this includes overleaf some "pros" and "cons". We would ask that clubs consider it carefully, and we will vote on it on Friday 29th June.

Amateur Football Combination - National Respect Gold Award League (April 2012) - We're delighted to report that the Amateur Football Combination has been awarded the National Respect Gold Award for an open-aged league for 2012. Details can be found attached and on the FA website.

Credit for the award should go widely - to our clubs and referees, but in particular to a number of league officers. Rob Gibbs, whose brainchild the Spirit of Football Campaign has been, leads the way, but credit should also go to Martin Armstrong, James Whitmarsh, Ben Roberts, Tony Julien, Chris Cooper, Mike Sainsbury, Bob Coates, Alex Grayburn and Chad Chaudhuri for their work with clubs and referees, as well as John Monk, who pushed through the AFC's proposal. Our thanks to all of them, and many other officers, league and club, equally deserve credit.

The award will be made at the FA Cup Final by Chairman of the FA, David Bernstein and Jimmy Armfield and Rob Gibbs and John Monk will be present to accept this. The Cup Final will also be preceded by a video about the AFC and Respect/Spirit of Football, which was filmed last weekend - our thanks to UCL Academicals, Honorable Artillery Company, John Monk, David Goldring and Sam Brown from the AFA for attending this filming. A longer version of the video will appear on the FA website after the Cup Final, and we'll link to it from here.

Everyone involved with the AFC should feel proud of this award. We aren't perfect, and we have our issues, but the biggest factor in the award was the fact that we're prepared to do something about it, and make it clear to clubs and players what is expected in "our football", and if they don't want to play our way, play somewhere else.

With the geographical area the league covers, it's almost impossible for us to get coverage in "local media", but if any of our clubs wish to contact their local sources, we'd more than encourage you to do so. 

A National Gold Award League is quite an achievement, feel free to trumpet your part in it.

London Old Boys Senior Cup Final (April 2012) - The London Old Boys Senior Cup Final, Old Meadonians vs Old Suttonians, has now been postponed twice, on Wednesday 18th April and Wednesday 25th April at Dulwich Hamlet F.C., Champion Hill Stadium, Edgar Kail Way, Dog Kennel Hill, London, SE22 8BD. The new date will be Monday 21st May, at Dulwich Hamlet.

AFC Annual Dinner and Presentation of Trophies (April 2012) - The 2012 AFC Annual Dinner and Presentation of Trophies is being held on Thursday 24th May 2012, at the Oval. Click here for details in Word and PDF format, or for more information please contact Andrew Cashmore-Till.

AFC League Administrator Advert (April 2012) - The Amateur Football Combination is looking to recruit a paid administrator for the essential elements of League Administration from June 2012 onwards. Please see the job advertisement and job description for more details. Any queries should be sent to the league chairman, David Goldring.

Yorkshire Amateur League 2 AFC 3 (April 2012) - In a thrilling match on Saturday 7th April at Beeston St Anthony�s AFC, Leeds, the Amateur Football Combination came from 2-0 down to beat the Yorkshire Amateur League 3-2. Click here for the match report.

6-10 South Fixtures (April 2012) - Due to work constraints, can clubs note that any fixture queries for 6-10 South for the remainder of the season should be directed to Bob Coates rather than to Mike Reilly.

AFA Refereeing Courses (April 2012) - The AFA will be running refereeing courses during the late summer/early autumn in Carshalton (9th August onwards), Acton (20th September onwards), Winchmore Hill (4th October onwards) and Dulwich (15th November onwards). See the AFA website for more details.

Old Bromleians Charter Standard (March 2012) - Congratulations to Old Bromleians, who have been awarded the FA Charter Standard Development Club status.

Jamie Brunton Away (March 2012) - Jamie Brunton will be away from 30/3/12 until 7/4/12. He'll be on his mobile phone, but not able to answer emails, so please don't email him!

AFC Club Ratings (March 2012) - The latest set of club ratings have been released. Click here for details.

Yorkshire Amateur League vs AFC (March 2012) - Saturday 7th April, venue Beeston St Anthonys�s AFC, The Field, St Anthony�s Road, Leeds, LS11 8DT and the Kick Off will be 2.00pm.

A coach will be leaving the Redbridge Sports Centre, Forest Road, Fairlop IG6 3HD (Bealonians AFC Ground).  The nearest station is Fairlop Central Line, turn right out of the station into Forest Road, and the entrance to the ground is approx 40 yards on the right hand side.

The coach will be leaving at 8.00am and should arrive back at between 11.30pm and Midnight.

Should anybody want to come along and support the team, please contact Fred Nuckey on 01707 721693 or 07808 775008

Chertsey Old Salesians (March 2012) - It's with regret that Chertsey Old Salesians have informed us that they will be leaving the Amateur Football Combination at the end of the 2011-12 season. We wish them the best for the future.

Old Meadonians in 1 West (March 2012) - Under rule 8 of the Amateur Football Combination, Old Meadonians 4ths have been deducted four points from each of their games on 12th November (against Fitzwilliam Old Boys) and 19th November (against Old Vaughanians), because one of their players was suspended by the Amateur Football Alliance. Both matches have been ordered replayed.

It is to the club's credit that this matter was brought to the league's attention by Old Meadonians themselves. The club committee were unaware this has occurred at the time, and once they had become aware of it, brought it to the attention of the AFA and the AFC. They have already taken their own internal disciplinary action against the individual involved (removing him from the captaincy). It is unlikely that either governing body would have become aware of the issue without Old Meadonians honesty in bringing it to our attention.

In reaching its decision, the AFC Fixtures Committee felt it was essential that the integrity of the competition - hence the points deductions and the matches replayed, but that Old Meadonians as a club should not be punished financially, so no fine has been levied against them in these exceptional circumstances.

The league wish to congratulate Old Meadonians as a club for their honesty, and we hope there are lessons to be learned for all clubs.

Old Camdenians (March 2012) - In the light of ongoing issues with Old Camdenians, with further disciplinary charges levied against the club and its players by the Amateur Football Alliance, the club have now withdrawn their remaining side from the Amateur Football Combination. Their record from 7 North has been expunged.

Bob Coates Away (March 2012) - Bob Coates will be away from 26/3/12 until 30/3/12. In his absence please contact Warren Robertson with any fixture queries.

AFC vs Arthurian League (March 2012) - The AFC beat the Arthurian League 2-0 on Wednesday 21st March, a 7.30pm KO at Corinthian Casuals F.C. with goals from Joe Fox and Danny Smith.

Squad: Joe Marshall (Heathrow Seniors), Matt O'Sullivan (Old Ignatians), Ciaren Prendergast, Sean Flaherty, Joe Fox (Albanian), Timi Dorgu, Tim Kaiser, Brendan Threlfall (HAC), Nick Woodward, Danny Smith (Old Suttonians), Peter Eguae (Old Meadonians), David Stevens, Chris Akinrele (Old Parmiterians)

RBL Loughton Resignation (March 2012) - It's with regret that RBL Loughton have informed us that due to lack of players, they have withdrawn with immediate effect from the Amateur Football Combination. Their record has been expunged from 1 North.

Alex Grayburn Returns (March 2012) - We're delighted to report that following his accident over the New Year, and long lay-off, Alex Grayburn is now active again, and as of Sunday 4th March will be back to doing refereeing re-appointments in the North.

Spring Cups 2012 (March 2012) - Some of you may remember a few years ago, following a good winter, the League organised "Spring Cups" at the end of the season for teams who had finished their League season early. We are proposing to run Spring Cup competitions again this season open to teams who either have one League game left to play or have completed their League Season by 10th March 2012. Entry is optional. You can also enter any friendly sides that you run.

Basically, teams will be divided into two groups of four with games played on 17th, 24th, 31st March and 14th April. Semi-Finals will be 21st April and the finals on the following Saturday, 28th April.

Once teams are in groups, fixtures will be arranged in the usual manner with the exception that clubs may need to agree on home pitches as obviously some clubs will start losing pitches after Easter. Each team will play one another once.

If any of your teams meet the criteria above, please can you let your League Match Secretary know by 5th March 2012 if you wish your teams to enter. Once groups have being arranged, further guidelines will be sent out.

Clubs are reminded that all teams must be affiliated to their County Football Association.

Amateur Football Combination Trophies due for Return (March 2012) - Please can clubs ensure that all AFC trophies are returned by 31st March, to the engravers, Len Fowler Trophies. Fowlers are based at 4 Lamp Office Court, Lambs Conduit Street, WC1N 3NF. Telephone number 0207 405 6130. Email address: [email protected], Website: www.lenfowlers.com. The office has moved and is now in a courtyard opposite Rugby Street, but only a few yards from the original location. 

AFC League Roles 2012-13 - Get Involved (February 2012) - At the end of the current season, Danny McConnell will be significantly reducing his involvement within the Amateur Football Combination, due to a combination of work pressure and family commitments. If you�re looking to get involved in Football Administration, or simply looking for a new challenge, this may be the ideal opportunity. We are looking to recruit new volunteers to the league to fill the gap, so please have a look at the following:- AFC Roles 2012-13

If you�re interested in helping out with any of these roles, or even just part of them, or simply want to find out more without making any commitment please contact either Danny McConnell, (07932 626 716) or David Goldring (020 8445 0804). We want the league to continue to be run by those involved in it on a Saturday, but that means support from our clubs, players and referees.

Player Registration and Team Details (February 2012) - At AFC Executive on Wednesday 15th February we discussed the progression of Player Registration and clubs logging team sheets. We're delighted that the majority of clubs/teams are indeed registering players and logging team sheets, but it's come to our attention that some clubs are failing to do so. It has therefore been decided that as of Saturday 4th February, we shall be fining any club who does not register their teams on Full-Time, including missing players and so forth. 

Please make sure your team sheets are on Full-Time in good order, and if you need a refresher on the details, please see the Player Registration page or contact Bob Coates if you're having problems.

SMS Results for Cup Games (February 2012) - Can clubs please note that the SMS results functionality for Full-Time has now been extended to cope with cup results being reported, even if the game goes to extra time and/or penalties. The text messages you receive should be self-explanatory, but the following examples may be of assistance.

3-2 ARS1 - reports a 3-2 home win for a team with code ARS1 (note that for most users, the team code is not required).

2-2 ARS1 3-2 AET - reports that a game finished 2-2 at the end of normal time, and 3-2 at the end of extra time.

2-2 ARS1 3-3 AET 3-1 PENS - reports that a game finished 2-2 at the end of normal time, 3-3 at the end of extra time, and the home team won 3-1 on penalties.

2-2 ARS1 3-1 PENS - reports that a game finished 2-2 at the end of normal time, and went straight to penalties (no extra time) and the home team won 3-1 on penalties.

The format for league games is unchanged.

Double Headers (February 2012) - If a fixture is shown as DH on our fixture lists, then a double header must be played.

Double headers are played 30 minutes each way (60 minutes per match, so 120 minutes in total), with the first fixture kicking off no later than 2pm. Each game counts separately, and clubs cannot play one game for "double points". Referees should be offered a separate match fee by each club and substitutes should be nominated prior to each game. Clubs normally share the match expenses.

Results from both games in a double header should be telephoned to 020 8460 5300 as the SMS text message reporting is not designed to cope with two games in a day, so clubs should ensure these are reported for clarification.

Full-Time Passwords (February 2012) - The Full-Time sign in page (http://fulltime-admin.thefa.com) now includes an option for users to retrieve their password if they've forgotten it - just click on the Forgot Password link.

Full-Time Mobile Site (February 2012) - The mobile site for Full-Time has also been revamped, see:- http://full-time.thefa.com/pda/search.do from your mobile phone, or http://full-time.thefa.com/pda/Table.do?league=9031785 to go direct to the AFC.

AFC Club Ratings (February 2012) - The latest set of club ratings have been released. Click here for details.

Is the Pitch Fit for Play (February 2012) - John Cooke, Referee Development Officer at the Amateur Football Alliance, has provided referees with some guidance notes on determining whether a pitch is fit for play. Click here for details. Any queries should be directed to the Amateur Football Alliance.

3G Pitches Reminder (February 2012) - Given the recent inclement weather, it seems pertinent to remind clubs of the rule change (23a) agreed at the last Annual General Meeting:-

"Pitches shall be of grass or 3G (Long Pile Rubber Crumb), or later generation artificial pitch. Any other surface must be agreeable to the participating Clubs".

In other words, if the home club can provide a 3G pitch, so long as they give the opposition warning, then that is a suitable surface for an AFC game, and a club cannot refuse to play on it.

London Old Boys Cup Trophies due for Return (January 2012) - We are getting close to arranging final dates for the LOB Cups, so please can clubs ensure that Trophies from last season are returned to the engravers, Len Fowler Trophies. Fowlers are based at 4 Lamp Office Court, Lambs Conduit Street, WC1N 3NF. Telephone number 0207 405 6130. Email address: [email protected], Website: www.lenfowlers.com. The office has moved and is now in a courtyard opposite Rugby Street, but only a few yards from the original location. Please can clubs email John Maskell when trophies have been returned.

Peter Mills MBE (January 2012) - Congratulations to Peter Mills of Dorkinians, who was awarded the Medal of the British Empire (MBE) in the New Year's Honours List for his services to the local community, Dorking Scouts and Dorkinians.

Outstanding Subscriptions (January 2012) - Subscriptions remain outstanding from the following clubs:-

Standard Chartered Bank.

The clubs have now been fined �50 each, and face suspension if they are not paid within seven days. If they have any questions, please contact the League Treasurer, Alan Robinson.

AFA Refereeing Course (January 2012) - The AFA have a limited number of places available on a basic referees course being run in partnership with The Middlesex FA.  The course is being held at Enfield Rangers FC, Carterhatch Lane, Enfield, Middlesex, EN1 4LJ and starts on Monday 13th February in the evening.  It continues over two Saturday all day sessions and the examinations will be held on Saturday 3rd March.

Applications for the course can be made online and candidates can be assured of a place as soon as they complete the online details, submit the course fee and click to confirm. 

For more information, please contact John Monk.

Goffs Old Boys 1st XI withdrawn (January 2012) - Due to a number of players refusing to pay their club subscriptions, Goffs Old Boys have asked to reduce to running one side, withdrawing their 1st XI from 6 North. This has been agreed by the AFC Fixtures Committee.

Alex Grayburn Unavailable (January 2012) - Sadly, over the New Year break Alex Grayburn had an accident which has left him laid up for the foreseeable future. He's expected to make a full, if slow, recovery, but he won't be able to fulfil any AFC duties for some time.

In his absence, can any referee re-appointment queries for the North region be directed to Bob Coates.

Everyone at the AFC wishes Alex a speedy recovery.

Old Kolsassians Resignation (December 2011) - It's with regret that Old Kolsassians have informed us that due to lack of players, they will have to withdraw both their sides from the Amateur Football Combination, with immediate effect. The club have struggled throughout the season to field sides, and having taken stock in December, they have been unable to get the necessary commitment from players to continue within the league.

The records of the club will be expunged from Senior 3 North and 3 West.

The club have asked to remain as Associate Members, and may look to play friendlies with a view to returning to league play at a future date.

AFC Club Ratings (December 2011) - The updated AFC club ratings (up to and including 17th December 2011) for the new season have been released. Click here for details.

Andy Taylor Remembered (December 2011) - It's with deep sadness we have to report that Andy Taylor of Chertsey Old Salesians passed away suddenly on Boxing Day. Andy had been one of the original Old Boys, playing from the age of 16 until 46, captaining sides throughout that time, and following his retirement had remained on the club committee, and was Fixture Secretary for this season. He attended every first team game, watching his son Luke play for the club, and enjoying a pint or two afterwards.

He will be deeply and sadly missed by all at the club, and on behalf of all concerned with the Amateur Football Combination, we'd like to pass on our sympathies to his family and the club.

For the foreseeable future, Mick Quinlan will handle fixtures for Chertsey Old Salesians.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year (December 2011) - On behalf of everyone at the Amateur Football Combination, we'd like to offer best wishes to our clubs, players, referees and all others involved within the league. We hope you have a good festive period, and fingers crossed for a quiet, prosperous, and free-from-weather-interruption New Year!

AFA Refereeing Course (December 2011) - The AFA have a limited number of places available on a basic referees course being run in partnership with The Middlesex FA.  The course is being held at Bedfont Sports Club, Hatton Road, Bedfont, Middlesex, TW14 9QS and starts on Thursday 12th January.  It continues over a series of midweek evening and Saturday morning sessions and the examinations will be held on Saturday 4th February.

To book on the course, please visit http://eventspace.thefa.com/amateur-fa/120112 or contact John Monk at the AFA.

David Demeza Remembered (December 2011) - It's with deep regret we have to report that David Demeza passed away peacefully at home on 8th December.

David was a loved husband, father and grandfather, and a stalwart of the Old Boys League, and following the merger, the Amateur Football Combination, serving as a Club Representative from Sinjuns for many years, before chairing the Discipline and Appeals Committees and continuing to serve as a Vice President. The Amateur Football Combination logo was produced by David and his daughter.

David played for Sinjuns for almost half a century, from the time he left school, until his final retirement aged 62, though he actually retired twice. The first was age 61, but early in the following season he was prevailed upon to "help out" once more, and continued to "help out" for the rest of the season, although his boots and kit never went home, as he hadn't admitted he was still playing (behaviour more common to fifty years before!). At the end of the year, when asked "is it out of your system now" the second, and final playing retirement came into being!

The funeral will be held on Wednesday 21st December, 3.45pm at Croydon Cemetary/Crematorium, Mitcham Road, Croydon, CR9 3AT and afterwards at Croham Hurst Golf Club, Croham Road, South Croydon, CR2 7HJ. Family flowers only, donations can be made to St Christopher's Hospice, c/o Rowland Brothers, Purley, CR8 2AA. 

Wandgas - Charter Standard Community Award (December 2011) - Congratulations to Wandgas, who have recently been awarded Charter Standard Community status, which was presented to them at a recent Chelsea match. Click here for more details.

AFC over Christmas (December 2011) - Note that 17th December and 7th January will be normal weekends for fixtures - however, there won't be games on 24th nor 31st December.

Club Referees (November 2011) - Having consulted with both the Amateur Football Alliance and the Football Association, we've been asked to advise clubs that under no circumstances should clubs be appointing referees under the age of 18 to open-aged (i.e. Amateur Football Combination) matches. 

Although FA Rules provide for referees 16 and over to officiate in open-aged games, these should only be appointed by the league, who will ensure that any such referees have completed the Basic Referee Training Course, and in consultation with County FA's are confident that a referee is sufficiently experienced to handle an adult game.

Clubs should not be appointing a referee in these circumstances - if the league is unable to appoint a referee, clubs must ensure the referee for the game is 18 or over. If a club needs any clarification on this matter, please contact Jackie Newing (AFA County Welfare Officer) or Danny McConnell (AFC League Welfare Officer).

AFC vs Cambridge University (November 2011) - The AFC drew 1-1 with Cambridge University, on Wednesday 30th November, a 7.30pm KO at Dulwich Hamlet F.C., Champion Hill Stadium, Edgar Kail Way, Dog Kennel Hill, London, SE22 8BD. 

Squad:- Ciaran Prendergast, Brendan O'Brien, Joe Fox, Sean Flaherty (Albanian), Matt O'Sullivan (Old Ignatian), Matt Tully, Ed Glover, Peter Eguae (Old Meadonians), Aaron D'Silva, Glen Farley (Old Minchendenians), Roman Pechhacker, Dan Lettington, David Stevens (Old Parmiterians), Nick Woodward (Old Suttonians).

The officials will be Chad Chaudhuri, John Hayes and John Harkin.  

AFC vs Southern Amateur League (November 2011) - The AFC lost 3-2 to the Southern Amateur League on Wednesday 23rd November at Hanwell Town F.C., Reynolds Field, Perivale, Greenford, Middlesex, UB6 8TL. All support is welcome.

Squad: Stuart Henry, Ciaren Prendergast, Sean Flaherty, Joe Fox, Brendan O'Brien (Albanian), Matt O'Sullivan (Old Ignatian), Ed Glover, Peter Eguae (Old Meadonians), Aaron D'Silva, Glen Farley (Old Minchendenians), David Stevens, Ben Olushola (Old Parmiterians), Nick Woodward (Old Suttonians), Matt Edmonds (Kings Old Boys).

The officials were Bart O'Toole, Lorraine Deschamps and Martin McBride.

Temple Bar (November 2011) - Unfortunately, due to lack of players, Temple Bar have had to confirm their withdrawal from the Amateur Football Combination. Their record has been expunged from 6 South.

Old Camdenians (November 2011) - Following a number of complaints about the conduct of their players this season, Old Camdenians were called before an emergency Executive Committee meeting of the Amateur Football Combination on Tuesday 8th November. As a consequence their 1st XI have been removed from 5 North, and the club have been warned that without a significant improvement in behaviour this season, the league will consider calling an Emergency General Meeting to propose their expulsion from the league.

AFC Referees Evening (November 2011) - This season's AFC Referees' Evening will be held on Monday 21st November at the Civil Service Club, 13-15 Great Scotland Yard, off Whitehall, London, SW1A 2HJ, 6.30pm for a 7pm start. All AFC Referees are welcome, but please confirm if you'll be attending with Stan Rosenthal, as spaces are limited. The agenda:-

1. Meet the men behind the League Appointments and Changes

2. AFC Referees Committee - do you want to get involved?

3. What the League expects of you; What the change to match based discipline means to referees; What can you expect from our clubs.

4. Open Forum.

We aim to be in the bar by 9pm!

AFC Rules - Maximum Three Substitutes (November 2011) - Clubs and referees are reminded that AFC Rules only allow for three substitutes to be named for a game, and all three may be used. A club cannot name more than three substitutes.

AFC Club Ratings (October 2011) - The first set of club ratings for the new season have been released. Click here for details.

AFC Representative Team vs London Legal League (Oct 2011) - The squad has been announced for the first Representative match of the season, on Wednesday 19th October against the London Legal League. The match will be a 7.30pm KO at Dulwich Hamlet F.C., Champion Hill Stadium, Edgar Kail Way, Dog Kennel Hill, London, SE22 8BD. All support will be welcome.  

Match Day Squad:- Stuart Henry, Ciaran Prendergast, Joe Fox, Brendan O'Brien (Albanian), Matt O'Sullivan (Old Ignatians), Dan Lettington, Ben Olushola, David Stevens (Old Parmiterians), Nick Woodward, Danny Smith (Old Suttonians), Peter Eguae, Ed Glover (Old Meadonians), Steve Byford, Simon Carrasco, Pete Chapman (UCL Academicals).

Reserves:- Roman Pechhacker (Old Parmiterians), Danny Smith, Andy Parlett (Old Suttonians), Sean Flaherty, Rory Prendergast (Albanian), Innis Pirrie (UCL Academicals), Connor O'Grady, Brendan Brien (Old Ignatians), Tom Ovington (HAC), Thomas Hughes, Matt Edmonds (Kings Old Boys), Ashley Bertram, Joe Marshall (Heathrow Seniors), Nat Greywoode, Richard Small (Old Woodhouseians).

The officials will be Geoff Blackmore, David Lewis and David Williams.

Prams and Bicycles (Oct 2011) - The FA's Superfan has once again been reporting on sundry AFA and LOB Cup matches, this time featuring our own London Welsh and Old Minchendenians. Click here for details.

Harrowing Tale (Oct 2011) - Last Saturday 8th October the centre back partnership of Parkfield 4th team had a combined age of 107 - Graham Bund aged 55 and Steve Collinson aged 52. The game in 6 North against Mayfield Athletic 2nds at Firs Farm. ended up with Parkfield winning 3-2. Both players have been regulars in the same team for over 10 years, although no-one is sure whether they have ever previously started and finished a match as the centre back pairing (e.g. the previous week Steve started and Graham finished as centre forward in a 5-3 victory). Graham has been with Parkfield for over 35 years, but Steve only joined 17 years ago. Neither has any plans to hang up their boots just yet.

Phone Call Courtesy (Oct 2011) - Can we ask clubs to ensure that phone calls to referees or officers to confirm games (or anything else) are made between 9am and 9pm.

Player Registration Deadline (Sep 2011) - As of Thursday 29th September we've got 4436 players registered with the league, and almost 50% of team sheets for the season have already been loaded, with Kurtice Herbert of Old Danes the top scorer, Daryl Leigh of Somerville Old Boys top assister and Norman MacDonald of Old Sedcopians top penalty saver.

For those clubs who have not yet complied, we're setting a deadline of Friday 14th October to have players registered, and your team sheets on the system, otherwise we're going to be looking at the various sanctions available (fines, points deductions for playing unregistered players or even withholding of fixtures).

It's very straightforward (as the majority of clubs have shown) and full details can be found on the Player Registration page.

AFC Representative Team - Get Involved (Sep 2011) - Bill Blackwell has taken over as Representative Team Manager for season 2011-12 and we�re keen to continue the good work with the Representative Team. We want to build a squad of talented, committed players with regular availability and a good team ethic, and we�re keen to get the best players involved from the whole league, regardless of which club they�re from. If your club have any players they feel are worthy of nomination to the team, then please contact Fred Nuckey with their details (name, position, email address and mobile number).

Our first match is on Wednesday 19th October against the London Legal League but the venue is yet to be confirmed. All support will be welcome.  

The officials will be Geoff Blackmore, David Lewis and David Williams.

Alex Grayburn Away (Sep 2011) - Alex Grayburn will be away from 27th September to 4th October. In his absence please contact either Chad Chaudhuri (from 27th September to 30th September) or Bob Coates (1st October to 4th October).

League Match Secretary Changes (Sep 2011) - Clubs are asked to note that Fred Nuckey will now be League Match Secretary for all North divisions (1 North to 10 North) and Jamie Brunton will be League Match Secretary for all West divisions (1 West to 3 West). Click here for full details.

SMS Result Reporting This Season (Sep 2011) - Scorelines continue to be reported by SMS text message this season, and this now includes all games, including county cup fixtures. Note that the requirement to include the word RESULT at the start of text messages has been removed, though messages which start with RESULT will still be processed.

Please note that the results of penalty shootouts for cup games should be reported on the SMS text message AFTER the full-time scoreline, i.e. 2-2 5-4 reports that the match finished 2-2, and the home team won 5-4 on penalties.

Click here for full details.

Player Registration for 2011-12 (Sep 2011) - We've updated the page on Player Registration for season 2011-12. All clubs must register their players within 48 hours of games being played, and team sheets must be logged with the league via Full-Time. Click here for full details.

AFC Handbooks (Sep 2011) - AFC Handbooks have gone out on Friday 16th September and Monday 19th September, to all Club Secretaries, Referees and League Officers. If you have not received them by Monday 26th September, please contact Danny McConnell.

AFC Constitution for 2011-12 (Sep 2011) - At the Special General Meeting held on 9th September 2011, the Constitution for 2011-12 was confirmed.

Match-Based Discipline (Sep 2011) - We've added a page to the AFC website with details of Match-Based Discipline, including various downloads to assist clubs. Click here for details.

Match Day Reminders (Sep 2011) - Can we remind clubs and referees of the following points for match days:-

Club Reminders Referee Reminders
1. Referees should be greeted by the home club at the ground 1. Referees should confirm acceptance of appointments within 24 hours
2. Referees should be shown to their changing room 2. Referees should arrive at the ground at least 30 minutes before kickoff, and will introduce themselves to a club official/team captain
3. The referee must be offered their match fee before the match 3. Referees will check that the field of play satisfies the Laws of the Game and Competition Rules, and ask the home team to correct any problems.
4. Two match balls must be given to the referee in the changing room 4. Referees will check ball pressures, accept only the fee specified by the Competition, and advise if they are unable to accept any offer of after-game hospitality
5. The referee must be shown the location of the pitch 5. In the interests of player safety, Referees will conduct a check on both teams' boots, shin guards and jewellery before the match
6. Half-time refreshments must be offered to the referee 6. When addressing players, Referees will not be disrespectful or condescending
7. Hospitality and refreshment must be offered to the referee after the match 7. Referees will do their best to make decisions according to the Laws and the Spirit of the Game, in a consistent manner throughout, and show empathy for the players.
8. Any issues should be sent in after the match, in writing to Bob Coates 8. Referees will attempt to be proactive with the Captain in assisting control of the game, and helping to avoid any unnecessary disciplinary action.
9. Referees will accept post-match hospitality where possible.

 

Members Services User Guides (Sep 2011) - The Football Association have produced user guides for Members Services, for Clubs, Leagues, Referees and Coaches. Click here for more details.

FA Handbook and Match-Based Suspension Guides (Sep 2011) - Downloads are available for the 2011-12 FA Handbook and Match Based Suspension Guides.

New Club Officers Evening (September 2011) - It was summer, it was late in the evening, you were drunk. The next morning you woke up with a nagging feeling of doom, something bad had happened. �200 for cigarettes? No! The police, no! Worse! You'd agreed to become Club Secretary or Fixture Secretary.

You tried to escape, even attended the AGM in the hope someone else would offer. They didn't (attend or offer). You tried pleading insanity, but it's football - that's never been a barrier!

There is hope out there.

On Tuesday 27th September, the AFC will hold its "New Club Officers Evening", aimed at providing an introduction to running an AFC club (including how to avoid fines!) for all new club officers (though more experienced ones are equally welcome). It's optional, and informal, and the idea is for some of the more experienced administrators to pass on their wisdom to the new guys (Fletcher and Godber in "Porridge" may be a perfect parallel!).

Kickoff is 7pm at the Civil Service Club, 13-15 Great Scotland Yard, off Whitehall, London, SW1A 2HJ (note the new venue).

We'll aim to be in the bar by 9pm, if not before!

Click here for more details.

AFC Special General Meeting moved to 9th September (Sep 2011) - In view of the Bulgaria vs England European Championship qualifier being played on Friday 2nd September (who'd have expected that!) we've decided to move the Special General Meeting to Friday 9th September, 6.30pm start at London Welsh, 157-163 Gray's Inn Road, WC1X 8UE. This meeting is mandatory for all clubs, and we'll cover both Match Based Suspensions, and Player Registration for season 2011-12, both of which will be key changes for all of our clubs. The Constitution for season 2011-12 will also be confirmed at the meeting.

Full details of the meeting will be sent out in late August.

Friday is the only day London Welsh is available (and we need a room big enough to hold 200 people) and it also means we avoid training nights for clubs, though we appreciate it's somewhat tight for the start of the season, and that will be taken into account.

Respect Leagues DIY Kit (Sep 2011) - The Football Association have produced a DIY Kit of good practice for Respect Leagues which references a number of areas of Amateur Football Combination good practice. Click here for details.

Spirit of Football & Respect 2011-12 (Sep 2011) - The Spirit of Football Newsletter for 2011-12 is now available. Click here for details.

This is our third season as a RESPECT league, so we'd like to remind clubs of the following:-

As everyone is aware, one of the key elements of the RESPECT programme is that team captains have a good working relationship with the referee/match officials � seeking to work them during the game to maintain good behaviour and discipline, and accepting a degree of responsibility for the behaviour of their team-mates.

The key points:-

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Ensure you wear a Respect captain's armband - these will be provided by the AFC

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Together with your opposition captain, make yourself known to the referee before the game. He/she will ask if you are clear about your responsibilities

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Ensure all your players understand what they can/cannot do in relation to the referee and what is meant by 'unwanted behaviour'. No-one's trying to curb enthusiasm - just instil more discipline. This can only benefit your match - and football as a whole

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Ensure your vice-captain (appoint one if you haven't got one) is aware of these rules, in case you are unavailable for a game, or have to leave the field

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Ensure every player in your team has signed the Respect Code of Conduct

For more details on the responsibilities of captains, and our expectations of them, please click here.

Whilst the majority of teams and captains have been supportive of the programme, we are aware that a number have failed to do so, and in the most extreme cases, as clubs are aware, sides have been withdrawn from the league during the season.

We hope clubs have drawn particular attention to the captain�s role, and the need to ensure that clubs have appointed people who both understand their responsibilities and are prepared to adopt them, with a willingness to work with the match officials, and have the strength to control their team-mates, and ensure that their players conduct themselves appropriately on the pitch.

We�re aware that it�s not easy to find volunteers nowadays, but clubs should endeavour to ensure that those elected are prepared to support the campaign, and ensure that they will uphold the club�s reputation.

If clubs have any questions, please feel free to contact Rob Gibbs (Tel: 020 8866 2033).

Updated Marking of Referees for 2011-12 (Aug 2011) - The Football Association have released updated guidance on marking of referees, which includes the requirement that any mark of 60 or below, now requires written reasons for the low mark (previously this was 50 or below).

League Match Secretaries (Aug 2011) - There have been a number of changes to the League Match Secretaries for 2011-12. Click here for details. Clubs are reminded to please make sure you contact the relevant League Match Secretaries to let them know of any particular Home pitch requirements (i.e. maximum home games each week, certain teams to be at home each week, if they are sharing grounds etc) as soon as possible.

AFC Annual General Meeting Report (Aug 2011) - A few highlights of the meeting

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Annual Report for 2010-11 accepted.

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The Constitution for 2010-11 was deferred until the September Special General Meeting.

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Vote (62-7 in favour) supporting the adoption of 3G (Long Pile Rubber Crumb) pitches as being valid for league games (opposition have to be notified such surfaces will be used, but do not have the right to refuse to play on them).

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Old Danes (82-0 in favour) should continue in membership of the Amateur Football Combination for season 2011-12, subject to conditions already laid down by the League Executive. The club will be monitored and reviewed during the season and subject to a vote at the 2012 AGM.

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Old Tenisonians (60-0 in favour) should continue in membership of the Amateur Football Combination for season 2010-11, subject to conditions already laid down by the League Executive. The club will be monitored and reviewed during the season and subject to a vote at the 2012 AGM.

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Old Aloysians, Old Manorians, Old Edmontonians, Old Uffingtonians, Fulham Compton Old Boys, Nat West Bank - all had been interviewed by the Executive during the season and the conditions for their continued membership were reported.

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The trial with neutral Assistant Referees being appointed to all Premier Division games will be continued for season 201

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No changes to club subscriptions.

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Election of one new club:- Wandgas

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Somerville Old Boys in Full Membership:- .

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Resignation of

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Vote (60 to 3) in favour of retaining the 7pm Friday cutoff for cancellations of fixtures, rather than moving to an earlier time/day.

Our thanks to everyone who attended. The contributions from the floor were generally appreciated on the various points of debate, and it provides essential feedback and food for thought to the league and its officers, so that we can hopefully continue to make the right decisions on behalf of our clubs. It's your league, and it's only right that you have your say.Our thanks to everyone who attended. The contributions from the floor were appreciated on the various points of debate, and it provides essential feedback and food for thought to the league and its officers, so that we can hopefully continue to make the right decisions on behalf of our clubs. It's your league, and it's only right that you have your say.

My thanks for the positive feedback afterwards, and I'm pleased we had a venue where everyone had a seat.

Fines for Season 2010-11 (Aug 2011) - many thanks to Alan Meyer, who has produced a summary of league fines during the season just passed, effectively recording which clubs are subsidising the rest by keeping subscriptions down, albeit at the cost of creating work and problems for the volunteer league officers (or other clubs). Key points:-

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Heathrow Seniors - no fines for fifth year in succession; Old Sedcopians and University of Hertfordshire - no fines for four years in a row.

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Clean sheets for Birkbeck College, Chertsey Old Salesians, Citigroup, Economicals, Hampstead Heathens, Kings Old Boys, Lea Valley, Old Belgravians, Old Grantonians, Old Guildfordians, Old Pegasonians, Old Whitgiftians, Queen Mary College Old Boys, Royal Sun Alliance, Shene Old Grammarians, Somerville Old Boys.

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Old Aloysians (�365 in fines), Nat West Bank (�365), Old Thorntonians (�265), Fulham Compton Old Boys (�225) and Old Wokingians (�205) all with fines of �200 or more.

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Since the AFC's formation in 2002-03, we have had to raise over �67,000 in fines, with Old Aloysians (�2150), Nat West Bank (�2025), Old Tenisonians (�1765), Old Meadonians (�1630), Old Danes (�1590) and Old Uxonians (�1520) the top offenders.

AFC Refereeing Feedback (Aug 2011) - The AFC Referees Committee will be meeting late in August, and would like any constructive feedback on the AFC Refereeing panel. Please can club officers email Stan Rosenthal, Chairman of the AFC Referees Committee, in advance of that meeting. 

Theft Scam (Aug 2011) - It has been brought to the AFA's attention that an individual is attending club training sessions with a view to joining the club. Each time this person has attended two full training sessions and on the 3rd session departs early complaining of injury. Each time this person has used this excuse to steal the valuables left behind by the rest of the players who are training.

The person has gone by the name of Chris or Lee Johnson and has hit or attempted to hit amateur clubs in the Essex and Kent areas. Description wise, he is approximately 5�8/5�9, black/mixed race, thin build, very short black hair, clean shaven, facially looks around 27yrs old max.

Please share this message within your club membership to ensure your club does not fall victim to this scam.

On Monday 15th August, the Metropolitan Police arrested an individual answering this description, and he is now awaiting trial.

Revised AFC Constitution 2011-12 (Aug 2011) - The revised AFC Constitution for season 2011-12 has been published. This will be confirmed at the Special General Meeting on 9th September 2011, but any questions or feedback should be directed to Bob Coates by Monday 15th August.

AFA Referee Training Courses (Aug 2011) - The AFA will be running referee training courses throughout September, October and November in various areas of London (Chiswick, Fairlop, Carshalton, Wanstead and Winchmore Hill), and we'd encourage clubs to try and get members to consider training. 

AFC Annual Dinner 2012 (Aug 2011) - The provisional date for the 2012 AFC Annual Dinner and Presentation of Trophies has been set for Thursday 24th May 2012.

AFC Website (Jul 2011) - With apologies, updating of the website is somewhat behind schedule this season due to an injury for which I'm supposed to pace myself with keyboard work! Please bear with me as I get things updated as quickly as I can.

AFC Preseason Fixture Bureau Open (Jul 2011) - The AFC season will kick off for Senior and Intermediate Divisions on Saturday 10th September 2011, and for all other divisions on Saturday 17th September 2011. However, if any sides wish to start league games on Saturday 3rd September, please contact their League Match Secretary.

The preseason fixture bureau is now open.

 

2010-11 League News