The OSSA also provides a league format to Boys in the Under 19 age group. 21 teams participate in this setup with 7 teams in 3 leagues. This therefore demonstrates the amount of football provided by the county at school level alone.
I currently attend school at Cokethorpe. The school runs 15 football teams from the age of 9 up to sixth form. Some individuals may get the chance to go on and play for the county through school which proves that there are opportunities to go on and represent Oxfordshire if you are good enough. The school has four full size football pitches for matches to be played on as well as other areas to train on and prepare for matches. The 1st team is competing in the county cup knockout competition this year.
The OFA operates many leagues around the county. For more information about these leagues, see appendix A. The Oxford Mail Boys league and the Witney and District league are for young boys up to the age of 15. The Oxfordshire Invitational Youth league is then the next level of competitive football from the age of 16 upwards. For girls there is a similar format with the Oxford Mail girl’s league available for girls participating in Oxfordshire.
Referee’s in Oxfordshire
Due to the increasing popularity of football locally, there is a great need for more referees to oversee competitive matches. The FA aims to employ over 10,000 referees in the near future in order to supervise more competitive games.
The OFA provides many refereeing courses for aspiring referees. There are different courses which can be undertaken and each course is only applicable for certain levels of football. For instance, the basic refereeing course allows a referee to supervise 11-a-side football matches, women and girls football matches, disabled football matches and youth football matches. For information on the referee’s associations in Oxfordshire, see Appendix B.
In order to become a referee, you must register an interest with the OFA. The OFA will then provide the individual with the necessary information required regarding the date, venue, costs and time of the refereeing course. The procedure for this refereeing course and the costs involved can also be seen in Appendix B.
Coaching in Oxfordshire
Football coaching in Oxfordshire is very limited. In order to enhance the standard of football in Oxfordshire, it is important that coaching is improved. The FA Coaches Association (FACA) is the recognised coaching association in England and gives opportunities to young aspiring individuals who want to coach football.
Disabled football in Oxfordshire
The OFA has always maintained that there should always be opportunities for disabled people who want to participate in football. In this respect, coaching for disabled participants is of major importance to the OFA as they aim to enhance the growing population of disabled participants in football.
There is a competitive league for disabled footballer’s to take part in. It is called the BOBI league (Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire inclusive league). This league however only just began in November 2008. The league is open to anyone over the age of 12 years. The following leagues are in place for the following genders and age groups:
- Adult Men’s Championship
- Adult Men’s League
- Adult Ladies League
- U16 Championship
The BOBI league also aims to create an U16 league in order to further increase the amount of disabled football available to those who wish to take part.
The teams involved in this setup are Oxford City, Banbury United Ladies, MK Dons, St Albans and Northampton Town. However, it is evident that Oxford City casuals and Banbury United Ladies have been fundamental in the progression of disabled football and the steps towards giving disabled people the chance to take part.
Summertown Stars have also been pivotal in the development of disabled football in Oxfordshire. The club operates a football setup for Visually Impaired People (VIP’s). The visually impaired participants who wish to take part play futsal, which is essentially a game of five-a-side indoor football.
Funding for football in Oxfordshire
In order to develop and enhance the reputation of football in Oxfordshire, it is fundamental that money is invested to help provide facilities and quality coaching and referees to officiate matches. The Football Foundation is a business which was created by the football authorities and the government in order to finance development at grass root level and get more involved in football. There is a community and education small grant scheme available to start up football clubs for instance. This may involve the costs of actually starting up the club as well as additional facilities needed for training and coaching participants.
The football foundation also has a junior kit scheme. This provides funding for kit to U18 teams as well as adult teams with disabilities. The scheme is available to either FA charter standard clubs or FA focus schools. Clubs can apply for £800 which is divided into £400 for boys football and £400 for girls football. A school can apply for a £400 grant every three years. In relation to this kit funding scheme, it is very apparent that the football foundation fully condones the development of disabled football, especially in Oxfordshire with the BOBI league which began in November 2008.