Introduction

Although it is far from clear yet when season 2020/21 will start, venues are already asking us to book facilities, so we need to prepare for the new season. In particular, we need to get an idea of the level of demand from teams wanting to play in the League so we can book sufficient facilities. Our plan is to start the season on 11 September but that of course will depend on factors outside our control. 

If you would like to play in the league in 2020/21 please complete and return the appropriate forms (each club must complete a club registration form and each team must then complete a team registration form) which can be downloaded from our website or can be requested from info@chesterfieldfutsal.com. Send no money at this stage; we will invoice clubs when we have a better idea of when we can start playing again. 

All dates in this notice might change; and everything is subject to approval at the AGM on 6 July, assuming that takes place as planned.

How this will work

Expressions of interest to play in the league next season are already coming in. We will formally open the invitation to apply to join the League on 16 April; it would help us plan next season if clubs and teams could submit registration forms as soon as possible or tell us they are considering joining us if plans haven’t yet been firmed up. 

The League intends to run the same age groups as 2019/20, plus u17/18s. We will also run adult fixtures if there is a demand for them. This season’s u11s development division (including the girls’ teams) will probably become an u12s development division in 2020/21, although if enough girls’ teams apply to join, we may set up a girls only u11/12 division. If any age group attracts enough teams, the Committee may decide to run two divisions in that age group; if enough teams in the younger age groups apply (u7/8 and u9/10), the Committee may split groups into single age divisions. If any age group has insufficient numbers to make a competitive division the league will try to arrange a series of friendlies for teams wishing to play.

The aim will to be to provide teams with around 14 matches in a full season including cup games and friendlies. Some will have more than that (for example, if they do well in the cup competitions). This will of course depend on the numbers entering each competition.

The League may accept late applications if there is room to accommodate additional teams and will consider applications during the season from teams in any age group wanting to play occasional friendlies.

We will assume all applications to join the league received by us by 7 August are for regular matches over the whole season; if you want only a few friendlies please mark your application accordingly.

Registration forms are available from www.chesterfieldfutsal.com/downloads. Any questions please email us at info@chesterfieldfutsal.com.

Timetable

6 July – AGM. The AGM will be asked to approve all the proposals in this notice. All applications to join the league received by 3 July will be considered at the AGM. Those approved will be entered in the League straightaway. If we receive more applications to join than we can accommodate then some applications may not be accepted. In that situation, teams playing in the league in 2018/19 and/or 2019/20 will have priority over other teams. After that it is first come first served. 

7 August – deadline for club and team registrations for those wishing to play in competitive leagues, that is u12, u14, u16 and u18, assuming there is still room to accommodate new teams. Teams in age groups u7/8, u9/10 and u11/12 development divisions that have applied and been accepted by this date will be included in fixtures from the start of the season. Any club or team that has not paid their registration fee(s) by this date will not be included in the League.

21 August – plan to issue league fixtures for u12, u14, u16 and u18 and friendly fixtures for u8, u10s and u11/12 development division.

11 September – first week of games, we hope.

Number of teams in the League

Each season we have managed to increase the number of teams taking part in the league, and we hope to keep up that record. But if we are to do that, we need:

a) new venues

b) more referees, and 

c) more volunteers to manage centres

and it won’t be clear until later in the summer whether we can get all three. We will not make a decision on the number of teams we can admit until the AGM on 6 July, so all applications up to that date will be accepted provisionally in the expectation that we have facilities to support them. 

Payment of fees including match fees

In 2020/21 we will require all fees to be paid electronically. Any club or team that finds this a problem should let us know and we’ll find a work around for them. We expect registration fees to remain at last season’s levels (£30 per club and £10 per team) and match fees will increase to £20 per team to reflect increases in venue hire costs. These fees will be confirmed at the AGM on 6 July.