Football Officiating Hub Fund Impact
07 August 2023
Bridgewater & Taunton College
"A huge thank you to AoC/ECFA for giving us funding to allow to put a number of our Bridgwater and Taunton College staff and students through the FA Refereeing course. It was delivered by Somerset FA and was a very engaging course and now has allowed us to be able to give our students the opportunity to help officiate in our College fixtures on a Wednesday afternoon, along with our weekend fixtures and help in the community. The course has also given the students more knowledge of the game and also a the opportunity to see what a referee has to do on a game day. We look forward to more of these opportunities in the future and continue to help increase the next generation of officials”
East Norfolk Sixth Form College
The Officiating Hub funding provided by AoC Sport played an indispensable role in facilitating our students' attainment of a recognised qualification and vital support for officiating within grassroots football and broader community initiatives, which are central to the programs offered by our college. This financial support proved to be the linchpin in rendering our delivery of this qualification a reality, particularly through our collaboration with Norfolk FA.
The partnership with AoC Sport was pivotal in ensuring the successful execution of this qualification. The funding not only alleviated financial constraints but also provided the necessary resources and infrastructure required for effective training and support. Without assistance from AoC Sport and Norfolk FA, our capacity to deliver this qualification would have prevented the valuable opportunities for our students to engage in officiating roles.
The impact of this funding reverberates beyond our campus, extending to the growth and advancement of local grassroots football. By empowering our students with these newfound skills, the funding has not only enhanced their personal and professional development but has also contributed to the fabric of the community. The resulting engagement and participation have created a legacy, inspiring our students to continue their involvement in officiating within grassroots football.
Telford College
"The officiating hub proved to be very beneficial to our students development. It has given them the knowledge and confidence to be able to officiate on a regular basis, including at the numerous primary schools tournaments we have ran on site here at our college this year. Their contribution has been an important part of the success of these events.
For some of them it has resulted in them officiating in local leagues, and it has been great to see their progress".
Bede Sixth Form College
The officiating hub went well at our college and the students involved really appreciated the opportunity they had been given. It has helped the students develop key skills which they practice when officiating and skills they can transfer into everyday life. As well as this, it has helped the college as we now have more officials to referee our football academy games, this has resulted in less fixtures getting cancelled due to no official, this is the same for the community and the local teams they now have 11 newly qualified officials to help them out with their games. Finally, the students all became more confident in themselves and started to believe in themselves that they could have a great new hobby or even a career in football.
Josh Stockdale, AoC Sport, National Football Development Officer
"It has been great to see the success of the Football Officiating Hub fund across our Accredited College network this year. The continued support and development our colleges and their local County FA's are providing students has been an overwhelming success. We cant wait to see how impactful this next generation of football officials will be on the game now they are qualified and actively officiating within their colleges and communities".