Staffordshire's amateur leagues help football to show respect

 

 

Local footballers from Staffordshire were gathered in Stoke-on-Trent to highlight The Football Association’s new behavioural campaign – the Respect Programme - across the county.

 

 

 

The Staffordshire FA were one of seven County FAs chosen to take part in the pilot for the programme earlier this year, which aims to improve standards of behaviour across the professional and grassroots game, reducing the drop-out of referees and the number of abandoned matches and reintroducing the fun into kids’ football.

 

 Front row: Local footballers. Back row from left: Three local league officials, Gerald Sinstadt the Ambassador for the Respect scheme, and Sam Dale a local referee.
 

During the pilot Walsall Junior Youth League, Cannock Chase League and Potteries Junior Youth League were invited to introduce some of the programme’s steps into their matches and club management, such as:

 

Step 1: Codes of conduct for players, referees, coaches and spectators which sets down basic principles that everyone must sign and adhere to.

Step 2: Designated Spectators’ Areas defined by touchline barriers to keep spectators back from the pitch.

Step 3: Captains taking responsibility for their players and becoming the main point of contact for the referee.

Step 4: Referees managing the game and dealing with any open show of dissent

 

Gerald Sinstadt, Staffordshire FA Youth Committee Chairman & Respect ambassador commented “We were delighted to take part in the pilot for The Respect programme earlier this year and it’s been really well received by clubs and leagues in the area. The challenge now is get more leagues signed up and involved in the Programme.

 

It is critical in helping us all work together to change the negative attitudes and unacceptable behaviour which threaten the future of football in Staffordshire. This is a long-term commitment but, if we all play our part, together we can really make a difference.”

 

The Football Association commissioned Brunel University’s Centre for Youth Sport and Athlete Welfare to evaluate the Respect pilot, and the research was led by Professor Celia Brackenridge. The research findings showed an 80% improvement in positive behaviour as a direct result of the practical steps.

 

The FA’s respect pilot was evaluated by a team of researchers at Brunel University’s Centre for Youth Sport and Athlete Welfare, led by Prof. Celia Brackenridge. The researchers measured the impact of the Respect interventions between January and April 2008 through detailed interviews and observations amongst 1,000 players, referees, coaches and spectators/parents.

 

The feedback regarding all three interventions was consistently high and enjoyment in the game was higher amongst groups taking part in the pilot than those that weren’t.

 

Local registered leagues and clubs in Staffordshire are now being invited to voluntarily sign-up to Respect.

 

Every league secretary has received a personal letter from FA Chief Executive Brian Barwick inviting them to sign-up to Respect and pledge to tackle unacceptable behaviour in football. Grassroots leagues in Staffordshire will be asked to contact the Staffordshire FA, who will support them to take on the above Respect practical steps this season. The response across the whole country so far has been very encouraging.

 

On signing-up each club will be provided with a Respect toolkit consisting of guidance notes, codes of conduct, a Respect captain’s armband and advice on obtaining spectator barriers at a special rate. Every referee appointed to those leagues will also be offered training under the guidance of county Referee Development Officers.

 

 

The Respect programme sits alongside a £2 million funding injection into dedicated staff across the country to support:

 

Referee recruitment: Currently the numbers of qualified match officials is at an all-time low. However Staffordshire will benefit from a full-time Referee Development Officer to help recruit new match officials and offer more support to active referees in the area.

 

Safeguarding children: Staffordshire County FA will receive funding towards a County Welfare Officer who will be working across the county to ensure clubs are offering a safe and positive football environment for young people and vulnerable adults. It is mandatory this season for every youth league and club to appoint their own Welfare Officer. Welfare Officers will play a vital role in ensuring children can play in an enjoyable environment, with an emphasis on development rather than win-at-all-costs.

 

The Respect programme, which launched on 5 August, is a direct response to the key issues identified in the professional and grassroots game.

 

Over 37,000 participants, including players, coaches, referees, volunteers and fans were consulted by The FA when defining its vision for grassroots football, the 2008-12 FA National Game Strategy. Their feedback confirmed that parental pressure is one of the main reasons young players leave the game and that abusive behaviour results in over 7,000 referees quitting football each year.

 

For more information on Respect and how your league or club can be involved please visit www.staffordshirefa.com

 

More information is also available at www.TheFA.com/Respect