Berks & Bucks FA UPDATE!

[Savagebee]

AN UPDATE FROM OUR CEO 

It is finally here; the return of grassroots football and we are thrilled to welcome you back for the 2020-21 season albeit with certain restriction in place. After the frustration of the last season We can clearly see the excitement starting to build within our clubs as we all ready ourselves for a new season. 

We would like to thank you for your patience and your continued support of your members during a very strange time, the way clubs have adapted and remained the centre of the community is humbling and reminds us all what power football can have even if a ball could not be kicked. 

What we do not know is what the future holds, we are aware that clubs and leagues may be under increased pressure to complete their seasons in a shorter timeframe with the potential for localised lockdowns, winter surges in infection and weather to delay play. As a result of the uncertainty, and to allow clubs and leagues to recover and rebuild, the Board of Directors have unanimously agreed to withdraw the County Cup competitions for the 2020-21 season. We are saddened that we have had to make the decision but we are encouraged too by the opportunities this gives for Berks & Bucks FA to review and improve the cup competition experience for all involved. The new and improved County cup programme will be back.

Currently, Berks &Bucks FA are still working at a reduced capacity and still working from home with a large proportion of the staff still on furlough. We therefore, ask to make use of email and mobile numbers as we are not able pick up calls from the office phones.

We hope that in the coming weeks and months a sense of normality will return for the organisation and we will be back to strength. We appreciate your patience during this time, although I do want to credit the incredibly hard working team that have been in operation right the way through this period and who have continued to maintain extremely high standards, demonstrating  how much they care about football and the people involved in the game while balancing the pressures presented to all of us during Covid-19. 

I do hope you enjoy the summer break, stay safe and we look forward to seeing you back on the pitch shortly.

Liz Verrall
CEO, Berks & Bucks FA

[Rhodes]

That is shocking isn't it, in this statement made in mid May the Berks & Bucks FA stated that in the event of their County Cup Competition programme not commencing by 1 November, then the competitions for next season will not start. Last season the Berks and Bucks FA Senior Trophy started on Saturday 14 September and the first tie of the Senior Cup was played on Monday 16 September so what's the problem:

http://www.berks-bucksfa.com/news/2020/mar/06/coronavirus-update

Directors have confirmed that in the event of the Berks & Bucks FA County Cup Competition programme not commencing by 1^st November, then the competitions will not start.

[Rhodes]

In this statement from the Berks & Buck FA made on 16 April, they state that 'all teams who were still involved in Berks & Bucks FA County Cup competitions at the time of cancellation will receive free entry into next season's Cup', I wonder whether that will still apply for the 2021/22 campaign:

UPDATE FROM BERKS & BUCKS FA (16.04.20)

Statement regarding County Cup Competitions 2019/20

On Wednesday 15th April an online meeting was held by the Board of Directors of Berks & Bucks FA to discuss the outstanding County Cup Competitions for the 2019-20 season.

Our County Cups are at various stages; with some competitions already having finalists decided and others still at the quarter final stage. With no timescale for a return to normality and football being able to resume safely again, we were faced with many challenging decisions.

With this in mind, after considerable discussion, The Board voted to cancel all outstanding County Cup Competitions for the 2019-20 season and to expunge the results.

We appreciate that teams, players, club officials and spectators have put in tremendous work and supported their teams to progress in the competitions and know that this decision will be disappointing for those closely involved in the latter stages. However, the health and welfare of our participants was at the heart of this difficult decision.

All teams who were still involved in Berks & Bucks FA County Cup competitions at the time of cancellation will receive free entry into next season's Cup.
 

[Rhodes]

The Berks & Bucks FA have announced some changes to the laws of the game for this forthcoming season which are obviously right across the board:

https://www.sportsshots.org.uk/2020/09/03/new-rules-for-2020-21-football-season/

 

Edited September 3, 2020 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

Rather short notice but this is this evening (8 September) at 7.00pm if anyone wants to listen:

TONIGHT Jon Wood will be hosting a general update/support webinar for Berks & Bucks FA Clubs which will provide a brief summary of the COVID-19 Guidance, information on Education Courses and other key updates ahead of the new season.

Join live at 7pm:

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-

[Rhodes]

This is quite an interesting and well put together graphic of how Club's under the Berks & Bucks umbrella are 'distributed' within the National League Structure:

[Rhodes]

A nice Christmas greeting from the Berks & Bucks FA and an update on their restrictions:

COVID-19 guidance for 'non-elite' football updated following Tier 4 announcement - Berks & Bucks FA (berks-bucksfa.com)

[Rhodes]

Some photographs of the Berks & Bucks plush Headquarters in Abingdon, do we know why their offices are in Oxfordshire:

 

[Rissy]

Most of the current Southern Oxfordshire area was originally in Berkshire pre 1974 as was Abingdon, Didcot and Wantage., all three are affiliated to the B&B rather than the Oxfordshire FA. Cannot answer why they remained in Oxfordshire with the short move to Abingdon.

[Rhodes]

On 16/09/2020 at 18:32, Rhodes said:

This is quite an interesting and well put together graphic of how Club's under the Berks & Bucks umbrella are 'distributed' within the National League Structure:

An update of the useful graphic for this season:

[Rhodes]

Photographs from last Thursday's (28 July) Berks & Bucks FA Grassroots Football Awards ceremony for 2021/22, held at Adams Park. David Keene of Old Bradwell United was deservedly nominated for an award with Pitstone & Ivinghoe Juniors winning one of the awards:

https://www.berks-bucksfa.com/news/2022/jul/29/grassroots-football-awards-2022-winners-revealed

[Rhodes]

On 13/09/2021 at 17:50, Rhodes said:

This is quite an interesting and well put together graphic of how Club's under the Berks & Bucks umbrella are 'distributed' within the National League Structure

An update of the useful graphic for the 2022/23 season:

[Rhodes]

An update of the well put together graphic for the new 2023/24 campaign:

[Rhodes]

On 22/08/2023 at 16:21, Rhodes said:

An update of the well put together graphic for the new 2023/24 campaign:

Reposting the 2023/24 Berks & Bucks FA graphic that has disappeared, the new 2024/25 graphic should be published by late August or early September:

[Rhodes]

A belated update of the very well put together Berks & Bucks FA graphic for the 2024/25 campaign: