/ Clevedon Town Walking Football | 1

Clevedon Town Walking Football

New Member Information Pack

Clevedon Town FC— The Everyone Active Stadium, Davis Lane, Clevedon, North Somerset, BS21 6TG

Contact: Samantha HibbsT:07826 718880 E:

Contents

New Member Information Pack

Welcome!

What is Walking Football?

When are the sessions?

What should I wear / bring?

What does it cost?

What will it be like?

The Weekly Sessions

Tournaments

Our Co-Ordinators / Experienced Players

Our Rules

Useful Information

Our Website and Discussion Forum

Insurance

Our Club Policies

Emergency Contact Form (Walking Football)

Welcome!

What is Walking Football?

Walking football is very similar to other forms of small-sided football like 5-aside, but there are a few different rules. The most obvious one is that there is absolutely no running allowed. The full rules are found later in this pack.

Whilst open to all ages, walking football is particularly suited to those more mature people who would otherwise struggle to play football at normal pace. If you’re unsure about whether it is for you, please feel free to come and watch for a while and join in if you think you would like to.

When are the sessions?

Walking Football sessions are held every Thursday morning 10.30 am to 11:45 am and Friday evenings 7.30 pm to 8.45 pm. Players are encouraged to arrive early to allow time for a warm up and to socialise / help get set up. We often play three lots of 20 minutes so, actual playing time is 60 minutes. On the last Thursday of each month, the Everyone Active Gym hold a coffee morning to raise money for their chosen charity, which we like to support after our sessions. You are welcome to come along – bring a donation for tea/ coffee and cake! On Friday evenings, players are welcome to stay after the session to socialise and have a drink.

What should I wear / bring?

The sessions take place on the 3G astro pitch, so no metal studs are allowed, but any other form of moulded stud or trainer is permitted. Wear any casual clothing such as tracksuit bottoms / shorts and a sports top or t-shirt. Make sure you have a few layers if it is cold and a waterproof for typical English weather! We provide a bib when we split people into teams, so it doesn’t matter what colour you wear. In hot weather, please wear sun-screen and bring a cap to safeguard against sun-stroke!

Bring a drink of water with you. We have breaks for a rest and to stay hydrated. You can also take a rest whenever you need to. Take it easy in your first few sessions – especially if you are not accustomed to exercise or haven’t played sports for a while.

What does it cost?

Your first session is a free taster. After that the cost is £3 per session. Funds raised are used to support the first team players via the Friends of Clevedon Town.

What will it be like?

Hopefully it will be fun. The sessions are naturally competitive, but we aim to make sure they are fun and that everyone is able to join in regardless of age or ability. If you have a medical condition that you think fellow members need to take into consideration, please let the organizer know when you first arrive. You will be asked to complete an emergency contact form with details of your medical history, an emergency contact name and number we can ring in case you are injured. There is a blank form included in this pack. Please complete it and give it to the session organizer.

The Weekly Sessions

You are welcome to attend either or both of the Thursday or Friday sessions. The Friday sessions tend to have a slightly younger age profile as they cater for those who are still employed during the day. Both sessions have the same rules, however, so feel free to try both and see which session suits you best. Several members attend both sessions. These sessions are aimed at keeping older people active, while having fun and socializing. After the Friday session, members usually stay for a drink and chat.

When you first arrive, you will be greeted by one of our volunteers. Look out for Keith Seabourne (above), who is our Player Welfare Officer. There are other volunteers who may be running the sessions – they are experienced players who will be able to answer any questions you may have. There will also be a number of people qualified to give Emergency Aid.

There may not always be a guided warm-up before the session starts, so arrive at least 10 minutes early and make sure you do your own. If you would like some ideas about how to do a warm up, please speak to an organizer for advice. Your personal warm-up will depend on your age and ability, but it is important to warm up and stretch the key muscle groups to prevent injury.

Make sure you do dynamic stretches before static ones -don't OVER stretch to begin with!
An example I use in football coaching - using the width of the pitch:
1. Do a brisk walk up and down or a jog if you can manage it.
2. Next do some side stepping in both directions x 1 width.
3. High Knees x 1 width (Take a few steps in between each one)
4. Touch your butt (or as close as you can) with your heels. Stop every few steps to do it. x 1 width
5. Open the gates (1/2 width)
6. Close the gates (1/2 width)
7. Reach down and scoop the floor, first one side and then the other - use a scooping forward motion to get as low as you can. x 1 width
8. March on the spot for half a minute.
9. Rotations: neck, shoulders (backwards and forwards), hips in both directions, knees in and out, ankles and feet in both directions.
10. Do some static stretching

You will be given a bib to wear to show which team you are on. Be prepared to play in a variety of positions –this not only gives you a good experience and opportunities to improve, but also makes it enjoyable for everyone else.

Tournaments

Some members like to take part in tournaments against other teams in the area and Nationally. These tend to be quite competitive and players are selected by our age group managers or our overall event/tournament co-ordinatorDanny Ward (pictured right). If you would like to be considered for one of the tournaments, please let Danny or your age group manager know. We may approach you and ask you to play anyway! /
There are lots of opportunities to take part in tournaments as the game is becoming very popular on a national and international basis.
There are now many organized events based on age – for example we have entered teams for categories of 50-59 year olds, 60+ and 65+.
We take part in the national Walking Football tournament each year and also the Somerset FA runs regular tournaments. We hosted the 2017 2nd round Walking Football United Nationals for the 50-59 category.
We nominated players for the National England squad trials in 2018.

Our Co-Ordinators / Managers

/
examples of Tournaments we’ve attended
National Walking Football United Tournaments 2015 and 2016
Somerset FA Tournament (quarterly)
FA Peoples’ cup
Friendlies against weston, Bristol city, bristol manor farm, yeovil
Samantha Hibbs
Overall Walking Football Co-Ordinator / Responsible Person
FA Licensed Coach Level 2, Emergency Aid, Safeguarding,( plus L1 Concussion Management, L1 Talent ID)
Contact Me: For any general enquiries, rules, ethos, finances, FA liaison, website, forum.
Email:
Mob: 07826718880 / Danny Ward
Event /Tournament Co-Ordinator
Will keep you updated about events that are coming up, and will keep an overall planner for everyone to see.
Contact Me: If you are interested in playing in tournaments
Email:
/ Richard Orr
Somerset FA League Squad Manager
I’ll be looking for players to represent us in the bi-monthly league squad.
Contact Me: If you want to be considered for the squad.
Email:

League Secretary: Chris Payne.

Our Co-Ordinators / Experienced Players

Mike Aitken (on the left pictured with Micky Bell)
Friendlies Co-Ordinator
Will let you know about opportunities to play in friendly matches, either during our normal sessions or at other times, home and away.
Contact Me: If you want to play against other teams in friendly matches
Email: / Gerry Thompson (assisted by Dave Cooper)
Social Secretary
Will keep you updated about social events that are coming up, such as quizzes, drinks, skittles, or any other meet-ups.
Contact Me: If you have an idea for a social and if you want to come to any of the ones organised.
Email:
/ Keith Seabourne
Player Welfare Co-Ordinator
I’ll keep in contact with you, make sure you are enjoying the sessions and be your first point of contact for any suggestions or issues you might have
Contact Me: If you need to chat about any welfare issues or suggestions for improvements
Email:

Our Co-Ordinators / Managers

VACANT / /
Vacant
Over 50s Team Manager
Will let you know about opportunities to play in over 50s matches, and will select and manage the team.
Contact Me: If you want to play in this team
Email: / Dave Cooper (pictured) / Pete Condon
Over 60s Team Manager
Will let you know about opportunities to play in over 60s matches, and will select and manage the team
Contact Me: If want to play in this team.
Email:
/ Danny Ward
Over 65s Team Manager
Will let you know about opportunities to play in over 65s matches, and will select and manage the teamContact Me: If you want to play in this team.
Email:

The following people are all long standing members of the club who help set up and organise the Thursday/ Friday night sessions, including collection your subs, sorting out the pitch and teams, unlocking and locking up the portacabin / gate. As experienced players, they will be able to answer any questions you may have during the sessions.
Jonathan Fry (Principal Organiser Fridays) / Jon Hibbs (Organiser Thursdays) / Eric Howe (Thurs/ Fridays) / Tony Merrett (Fridays)
Pete Rideout (Thursdays) / Dave Cooper (Thurs/ Fridays) / Gerry Thompson (Thurs/Fridays) / Lewis Ford (Thursdays)
Tim Holman (Thursdays) / David Gale (Thursdays)

Our Rules

We follow the FA Walking Football Laws Of The Game – see here:

We do sometimes vary these to suit our venue or players. Briefly, the main rules are:

  • Any running will be a free kick to the opposition
  • Examples of running which will result in a free kick:
  • Running off the ball to receive the ball
  • Running to close down a player
  • Running to chase a ball down into space
  • Initial run before moving into a new space
  • The ball will be kicked in if it goes out of play
  • The ball must not go above crossbar height
  • The keeper may pick up the ball after a back pass,however they cannot pass it back to the same player, and must release the ball back into play within 6 seconds. If a player receives the ball from the goalkeeper, they cannot pass it back to the goalie again. The goalkeeper should roll the ball out underarm, or kick it from the floor.
  • The keeper shall not kick out of hand
  • No balls to be played or deflected over cross-bar height.(local amendment to the FA Law of 6 ft)
  • Ball is dead over this height. Free kick to opposition from point where ball was kicked/ last-touched. If a shot was obviously going above cross-bar height, it is goalies’ ball. If the goalie deflects it above cross bar height and it goes out of play, it is a corner. If the goalie deflects it upwards and it stays in play in his area, it remains goalies ball as the goalie has more leeway in making a save than defenders do on deflections. If a defender deflects it above goal height, then it is a free kick to the attacker where the deflection took place.
  • No sliding tackles and no contact.We use “no-contact” as we believe the FA guidance of “low-contact” is too open to interpretation.
  • Goalkeeper is not allowed outside his zone and others are not allowed in.
  • There is no offside rule
  • All free kicks are indirect (this is a local change to the FA laws)
  • Referee’s decision is final (Respect)

People of all ages / abilities are welcome to the sessions as long as they play in the spirit of walking football. Those seeking a more physical / higher intensity experience should consider conventional veterans’ football. All players are asked to play in an inclusive fashion:

  • No “showboating”
  • Adopting a passing/ moving style of game – we will occasionally impose a 3-touch rule for some or all of a session.
  • Aiming to include team members of all abilities in the game by allowing them reasonable touches and time on the ball
  • Not playing in an overtly physical manner (shoulder barging / shoving etc) – any contact other than a block tackle where a player wins the ball cleanly will be penalised.
  • From time to time players may be asked to play, for short periods, in a neutral role, or be conditioned (e.g. limited number of touches) to ensure full participation and enjoyment for all.
  • Players should be willing to play in a variety of positions, including in goal unless there is a medical reason why this is not possible, so everyone gets an all-round experience.
  • Players are expected to volunteer to referee sessions from time to time. Nobody is a paid member of the club and therefore everyone should be willing to take a turn.
  • Emphasis should be on skill rather than pace to ensure all can participate.
  • In tournaments, please remember you are representing Clevedon Town Football Club. Be professional at all times; be respectful to organisers, referees and opposition, as well as to your own team-mates.
  • Please note – rules for tournaments may vary from our session rules and should you be selected to take part in tournaments, please make sure you read any information sent to you.

Useful Information

Our Website and Discussion Forum

We have a website and discussion forum which can be found at this website address:

You can go to the forum from this site or access it direct by going to:

We also use an application called Teamer to organise events such as tournaments. When you provide your contact details, Sam will set up your access to this site and you will get an email / text to register. There are links to Teamer both on the website and on the forum in the menus. The team managers will use this to select players for matches.

Please check out and join the forum – it’s a good tool for everyone to keep in touch, organise socials, chat about issues and suggest improvements. The organisers will also use it to keep everyone up to date.

Insurance

We are affiliated to the Somerset FA through Clevedon Town FC. We also have insurance to cover us while training or playing in affiliated tournaments, or where we can guarantee the opposition has adequate insurance. The cover is Public Liability Insurance and limited Player Accident Insurance. You are advised to read the policy documents and ensure the cover is adequate for your needs. You are strongly advised to look into getting your own personal injury insurance cover, especially if you are self-employed.

Many tournaments and opposition may not have insurance in place and therefore if you wish to participate in these events, you are doing so at your own risk. The teams which participate in these un-insured events will not be representing Clevedon Town Football Club and will play under a separate team name of Clevedon Walking Football. If you wish to participate in these events, you will be asked to sign a disclaimer (included in this pack).

Our Club Policies

Clevedon Town AFC is affiliated to the Somerset FA and is a Charter Standard Club. This means we have adopted the FA plans to eradicate all forms of discrimination and ensure the game is open to anyone. We will not tolerate any discrimination or bullying, and part of attending our sessions and becoming a member of our club, means you are agreeing to ensure your behaviour does not contravene the Equality Policy issued as part of this pack. It is important to remember that when you participate in tournaments, or during our normal sessions, you are representing our club and you should therefore familiarise yourself with the Equality Policy, and the requirements of the Equality Act 2010. A copy of the policy is also displayed in the portacabin and on our website.

Emergency Contact Form (Walking Football)

PLEASE PRINT ALL DETAILS CLEARLY

Name______Date of Birth______

Home Address Inc postcode: ______
Mobile Phone: ______Email: ______

Home Telephone (include area code): ______

Please provide details of who you would like to be notified in case of emergency:
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY CONTACT:

Name & Relationship: ______

Address: ______

Telephone______Alternative Phone:______
Are you allergic to anything? Y/ N

If yes, please list all allergies:

Do you have a medical condition that may affect you during exercise? Y/N

If yes, please give details:

Are you taking any medication we should make paramedics or doctors aware of? Y/ N If yes: Please list all medications using a separate sheet if necessary

The information requested on this card is kept in a file and is accessible to all session organisers. In the event of a medical emergency, this information will be used by authorized emergency personnel. Please be honest when completing all pertinent information.

Declaration:In the case of emergency, I give permission for my information to be released to emergency personnel. I also agree that any of my emergency contacts listed on this card may be notified in an emergency, as needed.