Xmas Raffle Thank You: Please can we thank the following companies for their kind donations for our Christmas raffle - much appreciated:
Real Radio, Leeds Bar 42, Horbury Cedar Court, Wakefield Fox's Biscuits, Batley Zucchinis, Batley Dewsbury Rams Laugh N Pass Driving School Eden Nail & Beauty Salon Bianco's Hairdressers Total Fitness, Wakefield The Old Mill, Horbury Hollywood Bowl, Leeds Wakefield Theatre Royal Cineworld, Wakefield IKEA, Leeds Morrisons, Dewsbury Rd, Wakefield Huddersfield Town Football Club Strategic Team Group Hostingley Farm, Thornhill Mars UK The Grand Theatre,Leeds and the producers of the Chinese State Circus Hartlepool Utd Newstrack Ltd Lidl, Ossett Transpennine Express
Children In Need - The under 8's had a fun weekend last weekend which included face painting and funky hair day and then a sponsored Mum's match and raffle and managed to raise £650, a fantastic achievement, so Well Done to all!
Bonfire Night - Over 3,000 people attended Ossett Town AFC on Friday 6th November 2009 for a fantastic night. The firework display was 30 minutes of some of the best fireworks available and the success of the event paves the way for an even bigger event next year. Many thanks go to Ossett Fire Station and all of the volunteers from Ossett Town Juniors.
Sportsmans Dinner with Norman Hunter - June 19th 2010
The event will be held at Ossett Town Hall and food will be organised, there is also a bar there. We are also looking at arranging an auction as part of the night. Malcolm Lord will compere the evening and there will be a disco to close the night. It is proposed that we will have a cold buffet on each table.
The plan is to get about 160-180 people in the room and I propose to sell the tickets for £27.50, or tables of 8 for £200. If you want to put you name down for a ticket please contact me on the below email address
As we begin the new season, please make every effort to assist your son / daughter’s manager & coaching staff. Match reports, assembling and dismantling the goals, corner flags, boundaries etc are areas where you are able to contribute. From the Junior Management Committee to the referees, we are all volunteers and need your help, as we all have “day jobs” too and do what we do for the sake of all of the children. I write this in support of the managers, coaches & referees, as the Club Welfare Officer. Many thanks in anticipation and good luck for the season. Steve Fealy.
Thank You To 4-4-2 and White Rose Soccer Academy
During the half term holidays both 4-4-2 and White Rose Soccer Academy ran excellent soccer schools. They were well attended, particularly by Ossett Town Juniors players. As part of the partnership, Ossett Town Juniors benefit from a 10% return from payments made by all Juniors who attended. Many thanks go to James Rourke (White Rose) and John Asbury (4-4-2) for organising the coaching - THANK YOU.
Fundraising With Savings For You!
We are now registered as a cause on the above fundraising site. You can shop with your favourite online stores at no extra cost and raise funds for the juniors. To use, go online and register as a user. Then you can shop with the retailers using the links from the easy fundraising site.
Examples of retailers:
Sainsbury’s, W H Smiths, Tesco, Amazon, T-Mobile, Next, M & S, Debenhams, Play, JJB Sports and many more. We can earn up to 15% on every purchase depending on the retailer.
We have been made aware that there are teenagers in the Wrenthorpe area claiming to be fund raising for Wrenthorpe Rangers Juniors and Ossett Town Juniors and attempting to sell Lottery tickets. This is not an official fund raising initiative by either Wrenthorpe or ourselves and as such is fraudulent. We will, in conjunction with Wrenthorpe Rangers be contacting the local media to warn the general public. But if you are approached by these individuals DO NOT purchase any tickets! Even better, if you get any details of the perpetrators, report them to me so we can take action. Chris Harrison (vice chairman)
Ossett Town Match Day Hospitality - Costs just £30 per head – Match Sponsor (Min 5 people) £150, Ball Sponsor (2 people) £60. Additional visitors are charged at £30 each (all + VAT). The package includes Ground Entry,10 Beers or 2 Bottles of Wine per person and a Cold Buffet, all in our Hospitality suite equipped with SKY TV news and offering panoramic views of the pitch. There is also a Tannoy announcement, and Guests are acknowledged in the matchday programme. Interested, contact either Graham Willis on 01924 266393 (geewill41@yahoo.co.uk) or John Kent on 07814 494610 (john.kent@hotmail.com) to hire the suite on matchdays.
Juniors Donate Kit to First Team: In the last year we have achieved a first – when we start next season, just about every junior age group will be wearing the new Nike Kit. To help celebrate this achievement, our kit supplier, Sports Bulk Suppliers, has kindly donated a kit for the Ossett Town first team. So, for the first time ever, just about the whole of Ossett Town football club will be wearing the same kit.
Volunteers Required: We have agreed to setup a new fundraising committee between the juniors and seniors to raise funds for future developments for both the juniors and seniors. We are looking for three or four volunteers from the Juniors to sit on this committee and take fund raising ideas forward. Anyone interested please contact James Rogers at james.rogers@blueyonder.co.uk or telephone 07891 273553.
Ossett Town AFC – Match Day Support Required: The seniors are always on the look out for people who want to help run things on match days. If anyone is interested in volunteering to man the turnstiles; be a steward; helping with programme sales, club shop sales etc. then please contact Simon Turfrey on SimonTurfrey@aol.com or telephone 07773 649251.
Why No U17s? - You may have noticed that the website no longer has a page for our U17s team. This is because it has been agreed that from this coming season (2009/10) the U17s will be run as part of the senior setup, hence the absence of an U17s page on the updated website. Therefore, we will continue to have an U17s team, but it will run under the stewardship of Ossett Town AFC rather than Ossett Town Juniors. This is a really positive move in preparing the players from progression from junior football to senior football.
GIRLS FOOTBALL INITIATIVE - In partnership with the Football Association (the West Riding County FA), we are currently in the process of setting up a dedicated Girls section aimed at providing enjoyable football development opportunities for Girls in the Ossett and surrounding area. We are currently in the process of recruiting Girls aged between 5 and 10 who are interested in football. No previous football experience is necessary as we focus on providing community based football development for the young people of Ossett and the surrounding (Wakefield, Dewsbury, Leeds, Huddersfield, Barnsley) area. We pride ourselves on offering enjoyable sporting activity for both boys and girls with a particular focus on the development of the child to supplement their schooling activities. See our Girls Page for more information.
RESPECT CAMPAIGN AND ZERO TOLERANCE: As you are all aware, we as a club have signed up to the FA’s Respect Charter and all managers received their respect pack last season. The pack supplements our own Code of Conduct.
Anyone who refuses to act within our Code of Conduct and the requirements of the RESPECT campaign jeopardise their involvement with Ossett Town Juniors.
As far as Ossett Town Juniors are concerned, the Code of Conduct is the most important document people need to be aware of. It has severe consequences should anyone break the conduct rules, i.e. there will be no excuses for a not guilty plea should anyone be reported for any breaches, everyone has been warned and by becoming a member of Ossett Town Juniors we have all agreed to its contents.
Can we please try to remember why we are here? It’s called junior football for a reason, coaches and managers are not here to see if they are as tactically aware as Arsene Wenger or be as successful as Alex Ferguson. Spectators are not here to bully players on to win at all costs. Nor are we here to argue with the opposition spectators, managers, players or referees.
I know we have lots of brilliant people at the club, players, parents, coaches and managers and my comments do not apply to everyone, but we do have a small minority who potentially could bring the club into disrepute. Not one right minded person should think that shouting and bawling at our players will make them better people, it doesn’t happen in school time why should it happen in junior football.
It’s every adults responsibility to show our young players how to be successful by simply showing respect ourselves. Especially towards referees, yes I know a minority of referees may appear bias or indeed inept, but most of the time they just make mistakes, like we all do.
I know only too well that we can get caught up in the excitement of watching players play football but lets remember the game belongs to the players.
If you think intimidating anyone makes them play better or indeed makes a referee ref a game better then you shouldn’t be watching a junior football match.
James Rogers, Chairman
MESSAGE FROM THE CLB WELFARE OFFICER, STEVE FEALY:
Referee recruitment and retention: By tackling abuse towards match officials, the FA hope to reduce the stream of referees understandably leaving the game. We can have a direct impact on this.
Participation within youth football: Abuse and pressure from the sidelines needs to stop if we are to ensure young children enjoy, stay and progress in the game.
Coaching and player development: An encouraging and player-centred approach is vital if we are to improve coaching standards - particularly for the key 5-11 age-group. It's simple: better coaches produce better players – support your coaches please. Send children to training and matches in appropriate clothing and with a suitable drink – nothing fizzy! If in doubt, water is an excellent choice.
Safeguarding children: Everyone in football has a duty of care towards children - ensuring they are able to play football in a safe, enjoyable environment free of abuse, bullying and discrimination is all our responsibility.
Improving behaviour is a whole-game issue and the 2008-09 saw the Respect programme introduced at professional and grassroots levels. We are obviously directly involved at grassroots level and trust that all of you involved the game, at whatever age group, whatever your role, set the example to all our youngsters. Without sounding too official, we all have a duty of care to the youngsters within Ossett Town Juniors, and I’d encourage you where possible to refrain from smoking on touchlines on match days and training sessions, or at least in view of children.
Managers and coaches deserve our support too, and their welfare should be considered by all as they coach or manage our youngsters. All coaches and managers are very appreciative of the support they receive – they couldn’t function without assistance, but help with nets, poles, ropes etc helps them to carry on with their family life – they’re human too! So please, if you haven’t done so yet, consider helping out by carrying something on your way back to your car. To steal a phrase, “every little helps”.
