Latest Update

First team training will return to Culver Road from Tuesday 7th July onwards, with other squads continuing their socially-distanced sessions at local parks and outdoor facilities.

To ensure the safety of all members, our official COVID-19 training policy and other documents can now be found here.

Please familiarise yourself with this policy if you are participating in sessions. Whilst training sessions, including those at Culver Road, are still not open to spectators, we look forward to seeing you all soon.

****

Our squads are beginning to return to football in the form of socially-distanced training sessions with COVID-19 procedures to protect health & safety of our players, coaches & officials now in place.

Please find below the new guidance from the FA – we must reiterate that to protect the health & safety of our squads, the COVID-19 government-led measures such as 2m social distancing and regular hand-washing should also be followed by any family members or spectators involved in any capacity, such as providing transport to players, spectating a session, or any other involvement.

We have also established a risk assessment which can be found here.

FA Guidance:

Consistent with Government advice published on Monday 1 June, the following outdoor football activity is currently permitted:

• playing football individually. For example, practice of individual skills or fitness activities;

• playing football with your family or other people living in your household;

• football training or fitness activities in groups of no more than six, keeping two metres apart at all times.

Sharing of equipment should be kept to a minimum and strong hand hygiene practices should be in place before and after. Physical contact with anyone outside of your household is not permitted, therefore playing of any games (small-sided or full) is also not permitted at this time. Avoid meeting in groups of six in busy or overcrowded areas if it is so busy that it is not possible to maintain social distancing at all times.

Football coaches can now undertake small group sessions up to six people (including the coach) but are reminded to follow FA safeguarding policy when coaching/working with children. This must include risk assessing the activities, gaining consent from parents/carers and ensuring you are in sight of another adult. For example, a parent/carer or another coach and that the ratio of coach to different age-groups of children is appropriate – see download 5.5 . For clarity, the additional parent/carer or coach is not included as part of the group of six but must remain in sight of the activity.

It is permissible for coaches to organise a training session that has two or more groups of six (including the coach) involved in the session, as long as the groups of six are kept separate, everyone is socially distancing and strict hygiene measures are in place with any equipment.

Football coaches working with people with impairments must ensure they can adequately cater for any additional needs whilst still avoiding physical contact and maintaining social distancing. Individuals should follow Government guidance relevant to their own impairment or health condition.

Please be reminded, if an individual is symptomatic, living in a household with a possible COVID-19 infection or if you’re classified as extremely vulnerable on health grounds, the guidance is that you should remain at home.