Following our latest meetings the plan for 2010/11 is as follows;   Mini Soccer FDO  Responsibilities - U7, 8, 9 and 10. (Andy H)   ·         Introduction of pro-club delivered sessions to Soccer School [Football Development Centre] ·         Introduction of pro-club delivered midweek Development Centre coaching [5-8] ·         Player recruitment for Soccer school. ·         Education of parents, coaches and players as to the seeding system as detailed on the website. ·         Coach Education, development of players, introduction of mutually beneficial relationships with no more than 3 professional clubs.   Coach and Player development Ensuring all CRB, coaching certification, attendance records, accident reporting, updated First Aid certification and Coach badges are all up to date and proactively planned and scheduled.     Transition and Induction FDO (Karl)   Assisting new Managers "Induction" at U7's, assisting with coach education as raised by mini soccer and youth FDO's- the education and communication to those teams transitioning from small sided games to 9 or 11-a-side. Responsible for assisting Managers with streaming and seeding teams that need support to deliver the ethos of the club or need assistance to coordinate this club directive.   Youth FDO's - Karl Swale   Responsibilities - U11, U12, U13, U14    Coach and Player development Ensuring all CRB, coaching certification, attendance records, accident reporting, updated First Aid certification and Coach badges are all up to date and proactively planned and scheduled.     Senior FDO- Andy Cope   Responsibilities - U15, U16, U17, U18   Coach and Player development Ensuring all CRB, coaching certification, attendance records, accident reporting, updated First Aid certification and Coach badges are all up to date and proactively planned and scheduled.     Open Age FDO - Dave Cole   ·         Inducting new players, recruiting quality staff. ·         Developing playing tier to ensure maximum exposure in Cheshire combined with pyramid growth from 2012/13 season once sited at Abbey Fields.  ·         Financial balancing and fund raising to break even open age cost ·         Secretarial control of OA, avoiding fines, attending League meeting. ·         Ensuring all CRB, coaching certification, attendance records, accident reporting, updated First Aid certification and Coach Badges are all up to date and proactively planned and scheduled.       This season our Managers meeting will consist of a session designed and developed by our FDO team with immediate effect. This may be a theoretical session around warm ups/drills, the new FACA brand scheme, practical sessions, website introductions or guest speakers. Any content or coach-education you would like to request should be send in the first instance to your Age Group FDO.

Squad Development - A Parent and Coach guide. Updated 26th July 2011

The ethos of our club is to provide "football for all", unlike many local clubs we do not operate a "trial" policy, if there are free places within the age group squad those places will be offered to those on the waiting list.

Should a number of players be waiting on the list, only at that stage should ability be considered, along with commitment and attitude.

The Football Development strategy is to have all players enjoying playing football at their ability level, with the club competing a side within each league once progressed to U11.

Having a number of sides competing solely with each other, in the same league is not part of the club's ambition. We ideally would like 3 sides at each age group, 1 in each league with all the players having the chance to enjoy competitive football, in a supportive environment relevant to their footballing ability. 

Under 7's

From the 2010/11 season we will have permanent coaches at Under 7's level. Those coaches will be responsible for developing the players and the future U8 Management Team for the U8's onwards. Those interested in Managing a team from U8's onwards should initially contact Myles Hanlon whilst at Soccer School to enable the FDO Team to identify interested coaches to the Mini-Soccer and club FDO and permanent U7 coaches.

Potential coaches must sign up to the strategy of the bigger squad picture, demonstrate a good knowledge of the game, ideally to have played competitively or still be playing. 

At U7 level, players and coaches will be identified to form the initial U8's sides, U8 Utd being the first team, Eagles the 2nd and when appropriate Falcons the 3rd.

Each season thereafter it is the responsibility [at the end of each season] of each Manager, supported by the age group FDO to move players between sides where appropriate, based on ability to ensure that the squads slowly migrate towards a clear 1st, 2nd 3rd set up by U10's/U11's. Annual meetings will then continue between the sides to ensure the squads continue to follow the policy [aided by FDO's]

Existing Mini- Soccer Teams

Those managing existing mini-soccer teams are encouraged to follow the enclosed strategy, with age-group and club FDO support available to broker discussions as and when required. Those at current Under 7's and 8's will ideally follow this strategy next season, with next seasons management teams to be decided by FDO / Managers representative. There has to be a combined "will" of those coaches at U7 & U8 currently to deliver this plan. Should there not be sufficient support, the structure will migrate towards the ultimate goal by following the recruitment structure below.

Anyone looking at becoming a permanent U7's Coach, should initially contact Football Development Manager, Dan Allman.

Where possible all 3 teams at each age group will train at the same time to ensure that positive relationships are forged across the age-group coaching set up to enable coaches and players to build rapport across the age group. 

Signing NEW players

From kick off of the 2011/12 season, teams requiring new players will be required to check if the SUFC sides playing in higher leagues have fringe/squad players that may be available, to ensure those fringe/squad players are given the opportunity to move to the recruiting team. This will give those players not playing regular full games the chance to become regular starters in a lower league. Only once the age group FDO is assured that there is no such player within the club to fill the vacancy, may an external recruit be signed.

The United team [or top league position side] at age group may offer trials for any spaces that become free in their sides.

Football Development Officers [See the top of the page for latest information]

The Club has responded to our ongoing expansion and community standard expectations by appointing some new Football Development Officers,

Their key support area's will be: 

• Developing the coaches within their area
• Developing the players within their area
• Supporting the ability-appropriate development plan
• Attending an FDO meeting on the final Thursday of each month.
• Supporting the football festival within their age group
• Working alongside the other FDO's to share best practise
• Improve fluid movement between age groups and potentially pro clubs
• To ensure relationships with pro club are mutually beneficial
• Resource ownership and delivery. Sharing DVD/CDR/Coaching links/books
• Aid sides in gaining sponsorship tips to improve the professional appearance.
• Mini Soccer FDO's to cover for U7 coaches during holidays where possible
• Improve the coaches enjoyment of the role and drive manager meeting attendance and participation.
• To present at Managers meet [as FDO group] 1st Sun of the month from 10/11 season 

The roles are volunteers to support the Football Development Strategy, headed up by Dan Allman.

Welfare role now supports Mark Morris, meeting monthly [Last Thursday of the month] at the Football Development Meeting. Duties include First Aid Kit control, attendance records, CRB data collection, child protection issues, 1st aid certification, child protection training and ad-hoc duties as deemed appropriate by Mark. All volunteers for this role must be CRB checked and an existing member of Sandbach United FC

Football Development Officer Roles  Coaches currently level 2 or have aspirations to become level 2. These roles are individuals with aspirations to apply for a permanent paid position as Football Development Officer, reporting to the Director of Football once the new facility is opened. [See below]

Duties include supporting Soccer School, the football festival, coach education within your area [be that mini soccer, youth, open age of girls], booking on coach development courses, match and training visits, coach education library and ad-hoc duties as deemed appropriate by Saul.

Football Development Officer - reporting to DOF [Sept 2010]

Sandbach United has recruited a Full Time FDO, Dan Allman. 

"Abbey Fields" Community Sports Facility

Myth – Allowing this project to go-ahead is a pre curser to a Housing Development on the rest of the site.

Fact – The development of the community sports facility is in no way linked to any other current or future speculation on development. SUFC has no knowledge of any other bids to use what remains of the site for housing and has strongly resisted any approaches made to us by developers to co-bid for this or any other site over the last few years. We are not and will not be associated with any such speculation.

It is a fact companies will prospect for land, and commercial options exist on land all around Sandbach, something we found when looking for sites ourselves. Land bank investment is common place, as are speculative investment options; this is something that cannot be controlled.

Myth – Traffic will be horrendous, with 300 cars all arriving to find insufficient space, parking on ‘our’ streets.

Fact – An independent specialist consultant has produced a comprehensive traffic survey, which was used as a basis for planning the size of the car park, and the entry/exit point. With a maximum of five consecutive games running at any given time, and with staggered kick-off times, the provided spaces will be more than adequate. However to ensure we can cope with exceptional circumstance an additional area of hardened grass will be available within the planned car park plot for overflow parking; if all this fails, we will have a reciprocal agreement with the Cricket Club which sits directly opposite the car park, that will provide a further 65 spaces in emergency!

This works well, with Cricket and Football being largely counter seasonal. The reality is we expect no more than 115 vehicles at its maximum; custom and practice tells us most away team’s car share reducing the number of vehicles considerably. As we stagger kick off times to ease the pressure on the hot water supply in the changing block, the participant’s will arrive over a 1 hour period, so 115 cars over 60 minutes, averages one car approximately  every 30 seconds  a couple of times a day on weekends, hardly gridlock!

Myth – This project will damage the environment and wildlife.

Fact – The area concerned has been intensively farmed over an extended period, and is designated as agricultural land suitable for recreational use. Over a period of four months, and extensive environment survey was conducted by an independent specialist, looking at wildlife, plant, trees and specific habitat.

The survey concluded there are no significant items for concern. The construction will be sympathetic to local environment, with any lost hedgerow or trees being replaced.

Myth – The floodlights will be lighting up my room until late at night.

Fact – The nearest residence to the floodlit areas is 70 metres away. Lighting technology continues to move on to reduce light spillage, and the surface of the synthetic pitch we have planned is less reflective than more traditional synthetic turf, which will reduce further any reflected glare. A strict 10pm curfew will exist on the busy training nights, with earlier finish on the Fri-Sun.

An independent specialist consultant was commissioned to provide assessment and guidance on lighting issues, and has concluded the provision falls comfortably within government guidelines.

Myth – The site will encourage anti-social behaviours

Fact – Sport in a controlled environment is proven to reduce anti-social behaviours, and our ethic at SUFC is to be a part of the community. We maintain we are part of the solution to anti-social behaviour, giving young people an outlet and a social arena to grow.

Myth – I won’t be able to sit in my garden for the noise pollution from the site

Fact – As previously mentioned, there are no residential properties neighbouring the site. Yes, there will be a noise increase, but at the distances concerned it will not be intrusive, and in the summer months when people spend more time outdoors, the site will be relatively quiet in the football off-season.

Myth – The Council should spend the money elsewhere, where it is more needed.

Fact – The council funding element is coming from land owned at Newall Avenue. A condition of any development on this site will be to provide a suitable alternative site. 

With the imminent closure of Hassal Road pitch for the cemetery extension, the council would be required therefore to build as a minimum two replacement pitches, for a similar level of investment from Council, working in conjunction with SUFC and the Football Foundation, it will be possible to deliver far greater return on investment without burden on the taxpayer. SUFC and Football Foundation are contributing £1.1million which can only be accessed through a joint venture project such as this.

Myth – There must be other sites you can use?

Fact – It has taken five years to reach the point where the identified site at Abbey Fields was determined. We have looked at numerous other sites, all of which have failed for one reason or another. The main stumbling blocks have been; A willing vendor at a rational price, most landowners will only sell for residential or commercial development as this reaps far greater return than sale at agricultural/recreational value.
 Many sites around Sandbach have commercial options sitting on them for this purpose so are outside our price range.
 Topography and drainage, some sites we have seen have been undulating and/or sat on clay, the cost to level the land and add major drainage systems makes development prohibitive
 Access to some sites we looked at was via narrow country lanes, issues around increasing traffic down country lanes and having no footpath would be prohibitively costly to rectify, good road and pedestrian access with cycle routes is a significant benefit of the chosen location.
The proposed site has a willing vendor, a relatively central location to the main population areas of Sandbach, Elworth, Ettiley Heath and Wheelock making it ideal, its topography and natural drainage mean minimal ground works, and the road network is able to distribute traffic in multiple directions within a few yards of the exit.

Myth – Why not use the Alsager college fields?  

Fact – Sandbach United currently plays a significant amount of its home games in other towns and villages around the district. Sandbach people should be able to play their home games in their town. More than 90% of our players are from Sandbach, Elworth, Wheelock etc, with the most of the other 10% coming from outlying villages within Sandbach Secondary school catchments.

…and finally: 

We have a outstanding opportunity to provide something very special for the town for generations to come, that will provide the greatest return to taxpayer. Surely this is a chance not to be missed. We do understand the concerns of the residents in the area and are committed to working with them to address any concerns they may have. The reality apart from an area tucked in very close to the industrial estate, the area will remain predominantly grass, with additional landscaping and screening to mitigate any potential concerns.

We simply cannot let the fears of the few override the benefits to the many; that after all is democracy.

Reference Library

For the information of all coaches, the reference library to which I referred to at our first meeting of the season has been loaded into the document list below.

This has been entirely funded by the SUFC Academy and I hope to build upon its contents on an ongoing basis. Should anyone have any reference material that they wish to add to our library please let me know. Should anyone wish to borrow any title just drop me a line/email/text and I will bring it to the next Manager’s meeting.

Finally, if there is reference material you had heard decent things about- let me know.

Dan Allman
SUFC