Wimbledon Park football cancelled on 22nd & 29th June 2013

 

Dear Players & Parents,

It is with regret that we inform you that for the next two Saturdays, 22^nd & 29^th June 2013, there will be no AFC Wimbledon Community Football Scheme sessions taking place at Wimbledon Park.

The reason for the need to cancel our sessions is due to a combination of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships affecting the space and parking availability at the park, and a number of coaches being on annual leave and on the latest youth coaching course.

We will be back up and running as normal on Saturday 6^th July 2013.

Once again may I offer my sincere apologies for the need to cancel the sessions…we only do this in exceptional circumstances and we hope that it doesn’t cause you too much inconvenience.

AFC Wimbledon CFS earn award

CFS team receive glowing praise from the Football  League

AFC Wimbledon’s Community Football Scheme has received special recognition from the Football League for the second successive year after delivering a high quality competition for schools.

Wimbledon’s 15-strong CFS coaching team coordinated an “excellent entry” for its Girls/Kids Cup and they earned selection for the Dons as one of the  Football League’s “top-five” clubs in the country.

The  Football League, Football League Trust and npower judges selected the clubs that provided evidence of work they have carried out to engage with schools and positively publicise and promote their Kids and Girls Cup local competitions throughout 2012/13.

This award comes at a time when AFC Wimbledon’s CFS are celebrating 10 years since its formation.

Pictured above are (from left to right) CFS Administrator Michael Cook, CFS manager Paul Foley and CFS Apprentice Charlie Jones).

Paul  Foley said: “The CFS has had to become more professional to fit in with the rest  of our club because we could not afford to be left behind. I hope that we have managed to achieve that. The work we have done has been emphasised by the numbers of participants we now have and that shows we must be doing something right.

“We  are working regularly in 15 schools a week, providing 50 hours of coaching to  approximately 600 children a week. On top of that we do Saturday morning and  holiday courses, along with the Walking Football sessions for over-50s. We have got a team of very good coaches, it is a small team but one which works very hard. Just like so many people at this football club they are willing to go the  extra mile because they know that what we are doing here is slightly different and there is a special feeling. We are in an area with a lot of competition from other big clubs, but our team do a great job and we want to continue to grow.”

AFC  Wimbledon will be one of just five clubs to receive a £500 prize for their CFS department with Barnsley, Cardiff City, Preston North End and Southend United also selected.

The Football League judging panel offered high praise for Wimbledon’s entry with the following glowing reference:

“This was an excellent entry that highlighted a number of best practice examples of the club engaging with its local schools in promoting the Girls/Kids Cups. This included extensive use of the club’s websites and matchday programme, along with good level of involvement from first-team players and staff to promote the tournaments and schools along the way. They also made frequent and correct use of the Kids and Girls Cup branding/logos in all communication to schools and within club on and offline content.

“A nice touch was the offer of free match tickets for school players and their parents and promotion of their achievements at the stadium on matchdays. An all-round excellent entry, coupled with some great accompanying evidence, by a  club clearly committed to running a high standard of local Kids and Girls Cup tournaments and engaging with schools and its local community.”

For more information about courses and Community Football Scheme,

click on the appropriate tab above or contact us: communityfootball@afcwimbledon.co.uk or 020 8974 5712

Follow us on Twitter: @afcwimbledoncfs

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/afcwimbledoncfs

Saturday Football Club is back!

Saturday Football Club

Saturday Football Club runs every Saturday during school term time at Wimbledon Park. No advanced booking is required; you can simply turn up and pay on any individual day!

Time: 10:00 am – 11:30 am (9:45 am arrival)

Price: £6 per session (pay on the day) OR book the whole of the Block and get one session free!

Dates: Block 6 of 2012/13 is made up of 8 sessions, and consists of the following dates:

- Saturday 8 June

- Saturday 15 June

- Saturday 22 June

- Saturday 29 June (CANCELLED due to Wimbledon Tennis Championship)

- Saturday 6 July

- Saturday 13  July

- Saturday 20 July

- Saturday 27 July

Venue Details: Wimbledon Park, Revelstoke Road, SW18 5NN

Booking Form can be downloaded by clicking HERE.

May Half Term Holiday Football Course

 

AFC Wimbledon football courses offer the opportunity for any child to learn new skills and develop their ability in a fun and enjoyable coaching environment.

Any boy or girl aged 4-14 is welcome to attend and receive quality coaching from our FA/UEFA qualified coaches.

Our courses are ideal for young players to develop their confidence and talent, with players placed in groups of similar age and ability to ensure maximum levels of improvement and enjoyment. Participants will benefit from technique and skills coaching, fun games, and competitions across a variety of differently themed sessions, covering all aspects of football development.

Please note; that all players should have with them drinks, snacks, packed lunch, & appropriate clothing to suit all weathers

Sainsbury’s Active Kids 2013

Less than 1 WEEK left to collect Active Kids vouchers!

22 May is the final day to collect the vouchers from any Sainsbury’s store.

Lets help the kids of today be ACTIVE…simply shop at Sainsbury’s, accept the Active Kids vouchers and then hand them in to a member of staff at AFC Wimbledon, The Cherry Red Records Fans Stadium, Jack Goodchild Way, 422a Kingston Road, Kingston Upon Thames, KT1 3PB

Programme Piece – Fleetwood Town – 27 April

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR AT THE CFS

THE SEASON THAT CONCLUDES TODAY HAS BEEN ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL ONE FOR THE CFS, WHICH CONTINUES TO EXPAND AND DEVELOP. CFS ADMINISTRATOR MICHAEL COOK LOOKS BACK AT THE HIGHLIGHTS

 

With the season at its culmination, we look back on what has been another busy year for the AFC Wimbledon Community Football Scheme.

Throughout the season our schools coaching programme has grown in size, and we have received outstanding feedback from the schools in which we operate. The CFS team currently coaches in 15 local schools, providing 39 hours of coaching to nearly 600 children per week. The success of these programmes is down to the hard work and dedication of our community coaches, who all do a great job – so please give them a pat on the back if you see them today.

During the past 12 months the CFS has run numerous holiday football and Saturday Football Club course’s with great success. We are proud to have maintained a consistent presence on a weekly basis at Wimbledon Park, with only a few sessions abandoned because of severe weather. Throughout the season the Saturday Football Club has delivered, on average, 108 hours of coaching to nearly 80 children per week, and holiday courses have provided 28 hours of coaching to around 150 participants each week. The commitment and dedication of the children attending these sessions regularly have helped us to reach these impressive figures, so thank you to all of them.

At the beginning of this season we decided that it would be good to have first-team players appearing at CFS events and sessions more often. Since Neal Ardley’s appointment as manager, we have been able to significantly increase the number of first team player appearances. It is not often that youngsters get to interact with professional footballers, and these encounters live long in their memories. So huge thanks to Neal, and his management team of Neil Cox and Simon Bassey, for all the support they give to the CFS.

In partnership with Npower and the Football League, all schools in Merton and neighbouring boroughs were once again given the opportunity to enter the AFC Wimbledon’s Girls and Kids Cup, the eventual winners going on to the regional final and the possibility of competing at Wembley in the national final. The AFC Wimbledon Kids Cup winners were Cleves Primary School, Weybridge, and the Girls Cup Winners were St Philomena’s Catholic High School for girls, Carshalton. Both schools were unable to progress further in the competitions, but their effort and dedication was second to none.

After our success in staging the Kids Cup in the 2011/12 season, we were asked to host the regional finals this time round. Minterne Community Junior School, representing Gillingham FC, were the eventual winners, and they will now play at Wembley against the Northern regional winners, before the League 2 play-off final.

In partnership with Football League sponsor npower, the CFS were able to deliver 34 RESPECT sessions to 19 local schools, reaching over a thousand children. The Respect campaign uses young people’s love of football to encourage good behaviour in all walks of life. Our ‘What’s Your Goal?’ campaign was also funded by npower, and though we were able to deliver the programme to only a handful of schools, we hope for better success next year. The aim of this campaign is to encourage students in school years 10 and 11 to think about their personal attributes and qualities, and how these will relate to different careers.

Our most recent step in expanding our activities has taken the form of a Walking Football programme for the over-50s. Run by us in partnership with Merton Priory Homes and the Sutton & Merton NHS LiveWell organisation, Walking Football is an indoor activity which aims to combat the lack of sport participation and social interaction by the older generation of Merton. The sessions are held at the Tooting & Mitcham Hub and consist of an hour of walking football followed by an hour of social interaction and the use of the Hub’s facilities (including pool, darts and Sky Sports). There is also the opportunity to get some free health advice from NHS LiveWell, and light and healthy snacks area available. Walking Football takes place every Wednesday evening from 6.00 to 8.00 pm at The Hub, Imperial Fields, Bishopsford Road, Morden SM4 6BF and is free of charge. To book a place, call 0208 974 5712 or email communityfootball@afcwimbledon.co.uk

 

Kingston Guardian supports Walking Football program

Walking footballers: Alan Williams and Roy Bacon stand proud in their AFC Wimbledon kit

Football is not just for the young and fit, who can run until the cows come home – don’t forget, the older generation still like to play.

Take a look at the link below to view the article released by the Kingston Guardian on Friday, 19 April 2013

http://www.kingstonguardian.co.uk/sport/10367303.Football_is_for_all_ages___so_say_AFC_Wimbledon_s_walking_footballers/

Easter Holiday Course – 2013

During both weeks of the Easter half term break, Tuesday 2 April – Friday 5 April and Monday 8 April – Friday 12 April, the CFS department offered a Holiday Football Course for boys and girls of all abilities, aged 4 – 14.

The English winter weather decided to hang around for the duration of the course, but this did not affect the number of participants attending throughout the break. The coaches were very impressed with the positive attitude of all the participants and their willingness to learn the skills being taught, so thank you to all who attended!

Just like previous Holiday Courses hosted by the CFS at Wimbledon Park, the participants got the opportunity to meet some of the AFC Wimbledon first team players.

Easter Holiday Football Course participants with AFC Wimbledon first team players; Jim Fenlon, Huw Johnson, Frankie Merrifield and Louis Harris.

Now the Summer school term is in full swing our Saturday Football Club is back! All the details can be found on our Saturday Club tab at the top of the page or on the information widget to the right of this screen.

Further to this; please follow us on twitter @afcwimbledoncfs or/and on www.facebook.com/afcwimbledoncfs to keep up to date with all the current CFS news.