This page provides a range of information for parents and carers about joining and playing for Kirkham Junior Football Club.

A: Membership, League Registration and Club Fees

There are three principle ways to make an enquiry to join a team.

Attend one of our PlayFootball Sessions between April and July each year (U7s to U12s).
Contact Registrations@kirkhamjuniors.co.uk to determine if there are any places in the club for a specific player.

Often, we will arrange for a trial period of up to 1 month whereby a new player can train with their new team for free to determine whether there is ‘sufficient fit’ in both directions.

Once a place has been agreed then the player will be required to formally join the club and become a member.

Club Membership involves creating an account on our club membership system LoveAdmin and establishing a Direct Debit through it.

To establish a club membership for a player send an email to registrations@kirkhamjuniors.co.uk with this information:

  • Name of Player
  • Picture of Passport or Birth Certificate
  • Team Joining (Name of Manager will suffice)
  • Whether the player has any siblings in the club.
  • Details as to whether the player has ever played football for a team in a league previously. (So we can find them on the FA’s Whole Game System when registering them).

The Club Membership and League Registration Officer will reply to your email and send you an email via LoveAdmin for you to complete the membership form. Once you have completed the form and established the Direct Debit please reply to the Officer to advise this stage has been completed. They will then complete the league registration stage below (if applicable).

When club membership is completed (the online form is completed in Love Admin and a Direct Debit set up) the player will be registered with the relevant league through the FA’s Whole Game System. (Note: This can take a couple of days to set up and take effect).

Managers will be notified when players are registered and “able to play” in league or cup fixtures. Registered players will also appear in the FA’s Matchday App.

Note: There are league registration deadlines early in the new year . Players can still join the club at this point but, will be unable to take part in league or cup games for the rest of the season. Each season usually concludes in April (though may be extended if there is poor weather during the winter to enable fixtures to be completed).

We currently charge the following fees:

  • £300 a year (charged at £25 a month flat fee*) for all league/cup registered players in age groups from U7 (Yr 2) and upward.
  • £240 a year (charged at £20 a month*) for all ‘training only’ non registered players – This incudes any players in Under 6s (Yr1) and U5s (Reception).

Note all payments are “called” on the 1st day of each month to pay for that month. An email notifying the collection will be sent to you and the money will leave your account on about the fifth working day of the month.

We also charge a one-off registration fee for new players joining the club (in age groups from U7/Yr2 upwards) for the first time of £20. This is to towards the costs of supplying home and away kits soon after joining and to deter jumping in and out of the club.

These are all collected through our direct debit payment system called Love Admin.
Payers will see the money collected from ‘London & Zurich’ on their bank statements.
Monthly payment collections can be paused if players are injured and re-instated when they return. Contact registrations@kirkhamjuniors.co.uk if this is the case.

If a player is registered for another team outside of KJFC and misses training or matches due to this, they will still be required to pay the full monthly fee (on the basis that it is their choice to do so).

Please note:

  • We were mindful when a flat fee was first introduced about potential complaints and arguments in terms of financial fairness. Older age groups have higher costs in terms of kit (bigger sizes) and referee fees and playing time (longer matches).
  • Our argument regarding this is that, if children stay with us all the way through the club then any perceived benefit or disadvantage would balance out.
  • We are mindful of potential disputes arising regarding individual players selection for matches and playing time. With ‘power play’ in the younger age groups and a large number of substitutes able to  roll on and roll off they should be ample time to ensure all children receive adequate, if not always precisely equal, game time.
  • It should also be noted that we charge an annual fee which is payable monthly. The primary costs of the club are for winter training and we in effect run at a loss during those periods to then reimburse ourselves during the summer. Therefore people will still incur charges in the Summer during periods of reduced football activity.  Cancelling your direct debit to avoid charges and then reinstating later on will not work – you will only not be liable to pay if you leave the club.
  • At the beginning of the season each player will be re-register to their teams provided they do not owe the club any money at that point and have an valid direct debit arrangement in place.

Of course, any complaints about unequal treatment should be directed to the club Welfare Officer (safeguarding@kirkhamjuniors.co.uk) in the first instance for investigation.

The annual payment (equally spilt into monthly fees) that we receive pay for our pitches, kit and equipment, insurance and coaching qualifications and are needed to operate the Club effectively.

We operate on a basis of equality and fairness and operate a policy where players are suspended from playing when there has been non-payment of their monthly fees and no explanation or communication with the Club.

In general terms, players will be liable to be suspended from playing after payment has been outstanding for three months.

As outlined in our club philosophy we believe players will develop much more effectively by playing with, and against players of a similar standard and ability.

For this to happen we recognise that there needs to be implicit co-operation and understanding between respective managers and parents in age groups to happen smoothly and effectively.

The Club’s Committee will not mandate or enforce streaming in any age groups. The Committee encourages streaming with the decision to undertake or not, residing with the respective managers & coaches (and to a lesser extent the parents) in that age group.

If streaming is adopted, then the following points support it:

  • Age groups should train alongside each other to ensure the children know each other to enable ease of movement between teams as necessary over time. (This should take place regardless of streaming if possible)
  • Parents should play a supportive role and all children should be encouraged – there is nothing wrong being moved between teams. New players should normally join the club in the less developed teams.
  • We encourage any movement between teams to happen at the start of the season (start of Phase 1 – August) or over Christmas (at the start of Phase 2- December).

Ideally there would be a review between managers in age groups at the end of the season in the May with mutual agreement to move players between teams where appropriate.

Whilst the club understands that players may wish to play with their friends in teams – this is secondary to playing in a team of similar ability. We would argue that making new friends in those teams from different schools is an important life skill and should be encouraged. The club exists to enable children to play to their ability and not be restricted by their parents friend groups!

Teams who are looking for players are able to advertise via the clubs Social Media platforms. Any child is able to trial with them for a place. There should be no repercussions from anyone undertaking this whether successful or not.

The club offers an arrangement to support those families facing significant financial hardship to enable their child to continue playing football.

You will need to complete an application form, which will be considered by designated members of the club’s committee.

Application for the ‘Club Pays’ scheme is confidential and if accepted onto it you are required to maintain confidentiality in terms of receiving it.

Contact registrations@kirkhamjuniors.co.uk for further information in the first instance.

If a player receives a caution or is sent off during a league or cup game, they are liable to pay a fine and in the event of a red card, may be suspended from playing.

The procedure is typically as follows:

  • Club receives notification of fine or suspension from the league
  • Club contacts player to ask whether the punishment is accepted (or whether they wish to appeal if related to a sending off)
  • If accepted, the fine must be paid to the Club within 10 days, this will be collected via your ordinary direct debit arrangement.
  • On receipt the Club will pay the fine.
  • Unpaid fines will eventually result in suspension from playing.

The club is considering whether to levy a club admin fee on top of the fine set-out by the Lancashire FA.

Questions about league fines or sanction should be directed to our Club Secretary at  secretary@kirkhamjuniors.co.uk

If a player wishes to leave the club please tell your manager and email registrations@kirkhamjuniors.co.uk so team details can be updated and direct debits cancelled.

We will delete your records from the Club’s administration database promptly and unlink the player with the club on FA Full Time at the earliest opportunity.

Please note, if a player transfers to another club and a ‘Notice of Approach’ is received, there is a collective agreement whereby a transfer will not be processed unless outstanding fees and fines are paid and necessary kit/equipment is returned.

Please ensure that match (blue shirts) and training kits(red shirts) are returned to the team manager so other children can use them as necessary.

If you have decided to leave the club because of particular issues we would be grateful to know (in confidence) so we can learn from and consider any actions to prevent similar instances in the future.

B: Training & Playing

We offer training once a week for all teams. Typically, this is on a weekday night.  For summer training between April and October, we use grass pitches in our local area. Please note, some managers decide to train throughout the summer, whilst others may decide to take a break for a couple of weeks.

For winter training between mid-October and March, we train on all-weather surfaces at AFC Fylde.

 

We currently have home grass pitches at the following venues:

  • Coronation Road, Kirkham (PR4 2HE)
  • Wesham Park, Wesham (PR4 3BY)
  • Weeton Barracks (PR4 3JQ)
  • Bank Lane, Warton (PR4 1TB)

 

All KJFC fixtures can be found on the FA’s Full Time website: www.fulltime.thefa.com

The Club receive email notification of fixtures no later than Tuesday each week and this is shared on the Managers’ and Coaches’ What’s App group.

Managers also receive direct email notification from FA Full Time.

Managers will advise location of away fixtures in advance via your team’s WhatsApp Account, Spond, Matchday App or verbally at training. (different teams communicate in different ways).

Only players who are registered by the Club on FA’s Whole Game System can participate in league and cup games. The League issue stipulations around participation in Cup matches, shared prior to a Cup tournament beginning, which managers should read and share expectations with new players accordingly. Anyone who is registered with the club can play in friendly matches.

Selection to match squads and starting positions is at the discretion of the relevant manager.

 

Unfortunately, due to inclement weather, matches may need to be postponed. For council-owned pitches, the referee must make the final call on the cancelling of matches. The Committee can decide to cancel matches on other pitches, if the weather and forecast is deemed to make matches untenable. Leagues may issue a blanket cancellation to all matches if the weather is extreme.

In the case of two consecutive postponed or cancelled home games due to unplayable pitches, the club will pay for an all-weather surface, where possible, to stage the third game.

 

C: Kit & Equipment

After joining, all players will receive their own red training/away kit. This will be updated every two years at the discretion of the team manager using club funds.

Blue match kits will be provided to players from sponsorship secured by the team manager/ parents/ local contacts. These match kits are updated every two years.

These kits remain the property of the club and should be returned on request or when leaving.

We have been fortunate over the years to receive financial support from many local organisations and businesses and clearly, we want this to continue.  We look to obtain sponsorship in the following areas:

  • Blue ‘Home’ match kit sponsorship
  • Red ‘Away’ / ‘training’ kit sponsorship
  • Clothing sponsorship
  • Rain jacket sponsorship
  • Tracksuit sponsorship
  • Hoodie sponsorship
  • Event sponsorship – such as the End of Season Awards
  • Tour sponsorship

If you or anybody you know would like to sponsor the club, please contact treasurer@kirkhamjuniors.co.uk

There is a catalogue of other KJFC branded kit available to order, which can be ordered directly from our kit supplier Galaxy www.galaxyfootball.co.uk, if desired.

Usually the purchase of any additional items would usually be led by the team manager to give everyone the opportunity to purchase and have one.

The club provides all equipment needed to set up and play football. This includes:

  • Footballs and pumps
  • Training Bibs
  • Flagposts, nets, goalposts, pitch marking, Respect barriers
  • Cones, bollards, flat markers
  • Ball bags and kit bags
  • First aid kits
  • Defibrillators

We ask everyone to looks after our equipment by:

  • Ensuring it is stored and locked up correctly
  • Not misusing it
  • Not leaving it unattended

D: Club Communication & Events

We recognise that the Club works best if seen as a relationship – the player, the team officials and the parents. As with any relationship, the success of this depends upon honest, respectful and transparent communication. Communication is supported as follows:

a) WhatsApp

Each team has a group established to share information and organise logistics. The Team Manager will be administrator and ensure that only parents and carers of team members are included. This does not replace face to face interactions and the group should only be used to communicate information related to Kirkham Junior Football Club.

This is not a channel to misuse and you should be mindful of your conduct using it.

b) Spond

Some Teams use an App called Spond to issue details of training session and matches and ascertain attendance.

a) Club Facebook Page: The Club has a Facebook page for you to follow. Only Club Administrators can post on this page to ensure content is appropriate. People can comment on our posts but we ask that you are mindful of not identifying individuals/children online for privacy and safeguarding reasons. If you want the Club to post something on our Facebook page, please contact: marketing@kirkhamjuniors.co.uk

b) Club Website : The Club has a comprehensive website www.kirkhamjuniors.co.uk, which provides information on each age group / team and has all club rules and policies listed. Additions, changes or updates to the website can be suggested via webmaster@kirkhamjuniors.co.uk

c) Annual General Meeting: This takes place each summer before the new season starts with all parents/carers encouraged to attend. The meeting includes the following items:

  • Chairman’s review of the year
  • Treasurer’s review of the year (and presentation of the annual accounts)
  • Election of Committee members

Details of the AGM and where the meeting will be held will be advertised to all the Club members and their parents/carers at least one month before the event.

E: Safeguarding

All managers, coaches and volunteers involved with our children are subjected to an Enhanced Disclosure Barring Service check to determine whether they have any past offences which prevents them from working closely with children. These are renewed every three years and without an up to date DBS, adults cannot participate in football coaching.

“Enjoyment is central to football, particularly for children. While some set out on the pathway to becoming a professional, the vast majority play the game for fun. It’s important that everybody involved in the sport helps maintain a positive environment that allows children to play freely.”

Gareth Southgate England Senior Team Men’s Manager

KJFC fully adopts the FA’s policy on behaviour and conduct for players, managers, coaches and parent/carers. These can be found on our website.

  • The following FA guidance should be adopted by all parents:
  • Do offer praise, encouragement and applause for both sides.
  • Do stand in the designated area for spectators.
  • Praise for effort and attitude not just talent.
  • Focus on the process not the result.
  • Focus on your child’s enjoyment.
  • Don’t issue instructions from the touchline.
  • Don’t critcise referees and the decisions they make.
  • Don’t follow your son/daughter up and down the touchline.
  • Avoid pressuring your child about winning or losing

As a Club we promote, encourage, and take steps to ensure:

  • The health and safety of everyone connected to the Club
  • Fairness and equality for players (within a competitive context in the older age groups)
  • Any bullying is identified and dealt with quickly
  • Our players have positive role models
  • Everyone is appropriately safeguarded.

If you have concerns about a child, it is important that these are reported immediately to the Club Welfare Officer/s. If the matter is urgent and you cannot contact your Club’s welfare officers, you can call The NSPCC 24-hour helpline on 0808 800 5000 – or if it is an emergency because a child or children are at immediate risk, then call the police or Lancashire children’s social care (0300 123 6720)

We encourage all parents/carers to check out the FA guidance in ‘Section 8 – Playing your part and questions you should ask’.

The club is fully insured and has an extensive accident and injury cover. All serious injuries and incidents should be reported by managers or parents/carers to the club’s Welfare Officer at the earliest opportunity, where they will be required to complete an accident/ incident form.

F: Volunteering

The success and development of this club depends on its volunteers. We all want a better stronger club with the right facilities. We need you to help us achieve this – if everyone leaves it to others it will not exist.

Help your own team out by: 

  • Setting up and taking down our pitches on match days or at training
  • Help organise Xmas parties
  • Collect and drop off kids whose parents can’t attend training or games
  • Bring a hot drink for the team to enjoy at half time
  • Find local sponsors for your team’s kit and equipment.

Help the wider club out by:

  • Marking out our pitches
  • Helping to organise the end of season awards
  • Organise fundraising events
  • Help us find sponsors (ask you employer!)
  • Take on a specific role for the club – photographer, newsletter editor, groundsperson etc
  • Stand for the Club Committee
  • Become a coach or manager (see below)

If you are going to spend hours watching your children play you might as well get involved and help out! You don’t necessarily have to do a lot.

G: Managing & Coaching

The number of teams we are able to offer as a club depends primarily on having:

  • A number of parents/carers who are willing to run a team
  • Having an appropriate number of players to make a team
  • U7s/Yr2 & U8s/Yr3 – 5 a side
  • U9s/Yr4 & U10s/Yr5 – 7 a side
  • U11s/Yr6 & U12s / Yr7 – 9 a side
  • U13s/Yr8, U14s/Yr9, U15s/Yr10, U16s / Yr11, U18s /Yr 12&13.

To enable as many children in local area to play and enjoy football we need volunteers who are willing to ‘don the tracksuit’ and get out there.

As a club, we strive to make management as easy as possible and have removed a lot of burden in terms of kit ordering, collecting and managing money and booking pitches / training venues.

If you are attending matches and training sessions anyway, why not get involved rather than just watching. We’ll pay for you to do your coaching badges!

H: Complaints & Disputes

We hope that all players enjoy their time within the Club and have fun playing football . We recognise there will be occasions in amateur football where complaints and disputes may arise.

The club Committee has worked to resolve many different dilemmas over the years and invariably we will do so again in the future.

We have systems in place to work through these and provide support and action, where necessary.

Should you feel the need to raise a concern, you will be asked to provide an account of your concerns including dates, facts and observations.

We take all complaints seriously and a formal procedure will be followed if necessary and appropriate. Depending on the nature of the complaint you should raise this via the appropriate channel:

The Club Welfare Officer will consider all complaints in the first instance with input from at least one other Committee member as necessary.

Complaints will be escalated to the full Committee if deemed serious enough (or on request).