The Respect programme aims to improve the 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.
Local registered leagues and clubs are being invited to voluntarily sign-up to Respect and to introduce the following steps into their matches and club management:
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
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. Interested grassroots leagues in Staffordshire will be asked to contact the County FA, who will support them to take on the above Respect practical steps this season.
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 is benefiting from a Referee Development Officer to help recruit new match officials and offer more support to active referees in the area.
Safeguarding children: Staffordshire FA has received 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, ahead of the first weekend of the new season, 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.
Gerald Sinstadt, Staffordshire FA Youth Committee Chairman, commented “The Respect programme is critical to 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.”
For further information regarding the Respect campaign please click on the link: www.TheFA.com/Respect or contact Andy Weston on 01785 256994 alternatively email: andy.weston@staffordshirefa.com