OUR RECRUITMENT POLICY

Every football club’s recruitment policy is different, from the earliest age groups in youth football all the way to the top level of the Premiership. Here at Leighton Woodside FC we have an open and transparent policy so that players, parents, coaches, managers and members of our Committee know what our policy is and how to apply it, making it fair and respectful for everyone involved in the Club.

 

Leighton Woodside has always believed that everyone should have the opportunity to play football, regardless of ability, gender or age. Our overarching principle is that existing players are rewarded for their commitment, hard work and discipline during training sessions.

 

However, we have to be pragmatic and balance the needs of existing players and teams with those of new players who want to join the club. For this reason, our existing players will always take priority over any new recruit.

 

Printed below is our Policy that clearly sets out when we recruit, how we recruit and the impact it will have on current players and who has the final decision.

 

We have split our recruitment policy into two clear categories.

 

These are:

• Colts players (up to year 2 in school)

• Players in teams at or above Under 7s age groups (at or above year 2 in school)

 

RECRUITMENT OF PLAYERS IN THE COLTS

(Year 1 & 2 in school)

Any player is welcome to join the Colts regardless of ability or gender.  At Leighton Woodside we run free coaching sessions during the summer to recruit new players into the Colts framework.  In addition to this, any player is welcome to join us throughout the year and attend our weekly training sessions.

 

New players who join during the season can ‘try before the buy’ and will have four weeks for the player and parents to decide if they want to commit to the Club before being asked to pay a subscription (based on a pro-rata rate depending when they join during the year).

 

Players who join as Colts will progress up through the age groups and continue to receive the same dedicated and individual coaching and development as every other player in their team to make them the best player they can possibly be.  This commitment to Colts players is vital and part of our core principles.

 

To protect existing players, our recruitment policy is that no player will be ‘directly replaced’ by an incoming new player; this policy goes beyond the Colts right through to our U18s team.

 

The Colts section is managed and run by Leighton Woodside’s Club Manager, Paul Sullivan. He will enlist the help of volunteer parents and other Leighton Woodside coaches to train and develop the players.  There is a clear development programme for Colts players, which can be found here.

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RECRUITMENT OF PLAYERS IN TEAMS AT OR ABOVE U7S

(At or above year 2 in school)

When a team reach Under 7s, they will start to play matches in an FA affiliated League. This normally starts during the second half of the season starting in January. Each team will have a Management Team made up of a Team Manager, a Team Coach (or Assistant Manager) and a Communications Manager (see Club Structure page for more information).

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There are clear FA Rules that dictate the number of players that can play on the pitch at any one time and the maximum number of individual players registered for a team. Please note that players are required to register with the league, which includes providing a birth certificate or passport, and each player is then issued with a registration card that is shown to the opposition’s manager before every league match.

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Getting these numbers right is a careful balancing act as the Team Manager needs to assess the requirements of the team ‘at that moment’ together with maintaining a squad big enough to support a larger number of on-field players as the team progresses through the age groups. For this reason, it is entirely up to the Team Manager to agree how they want to manage their players and to decide if and when to recruit new players into the team.

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It is the Team Manager who decides if they want to recruit for a position, either to replace an outgoing player or to bolster numbers for future age groups.  However, unlike the Colts, a Management Team can decide to recruit based on individual talent and ability by running an assessment event, trial or invite the player to attend several training sessions with the current players. Please note that this policy also applies if we need to recruit additional players into the following year's U8s team.

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However, to protect existing players, our recruitment policy is that no player will be ‘directly replaced’ by an new incoming player.

 

A NOTE ON ‘PLAYING UP A YEAR’

For several reasons, there are occasions when an individual player is asked to ‘play up a year’.

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This is an FA Rule that allows any player to play for the age group above. So, for example, a player who is in Year 2 at school can legitimately play for the Under 8s team in the League. The decision to invite a player to ‘play up a year’ is made by a formal approach from the player’s current manager and the manager of the age group above.  However, if a formal approach happens, and an agreement is made that the player can ‘play up a year’, it is then a decision for the player’s parents to decide if that is what they want for their player based on the information provided to them. 

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Please note that as a general rule, it is not advised that players ‘play up a year’. If you feel that your player should be promoted to the year above – for whatever reason - please discuss this with your team’s current manager in the first instance.

 

THE SMALL PRINT…

It is very difficult to foresee every scenario that might occur in the future, so there may be times when we need to apply common sense to enable a situation to be resolved. We are a volunteer organisation and we reserve the right to protect the interests of our Club, teams, players, parents, managers and coaches at all times.

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Any deviation from our recruitment policy can only happen after a discussion and agreement by the Committee. Their decision is final and there is no appeal process.