A&H

CFA budget cuts

Trip

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Level 5 Referee
I've heard from numerous sources, including posts on this forum, that CFAs have had their budgets severely reduced in the last few years.

I'm interested to get more information on this. Google doesn't seem to know. I assume that CFAs get their money from the FA? Why are the budgets being cut?
 
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Because many of the projections for funding by The FA were based on the assertion that England would be successful in their bid to host the FIFA World Cup (either of them). Also I believe that central government decided to divert their sports funding to other sports because they offered better results in terms of "fitness payback". Finally, County FAs don't have to do anything to earn a large proportion of their income, which comes from registration fees for referees, clubs, etc. The newish business model is designed to push them to close any shortfalls locally by increasing participation levels and sponsorship. It's not just County FAs that have been affected The FA have slashed their employed workforce across all disciplines and are heavily reliant on a volunteer workforce. Meanwhile they are annoying this volunteer workforce by making them jump through hoops as they seek to "professionalise" the workforce, sorry volunteer force.
 
Regional FAs round the corner then.
...

That will be the next fix, but before long everything will be centralised.

The FA will register all players (ensuring that they have a FAN No) and charge them for the privilege - current some leagues do and that money will go to the FA = 30,000 players at £5 / head. they won't miss on that chance :smoke:
 
Regional FAs round the corner then.
They can't afford the merger costs. Some County FAs, such as my own, are registered limited companies so would have to go through a dissolution process which could be quite disruptive. Also the existing committees, etc. would not vote themselves out of existence (please come back remind I said this when it happens lol)
 
They can't afford the merger costs. Some County FAs, such as my own, are registered limited companies so would have to go through a dissolution process which could be quite disruptive. Also the existing committees, etc. would not vote themselves out of existence (please come back remind I said this when it happens lol)

No need to dissolve them, simply make them dormant. Stop their funding from national FA and they are not going concerns.

In fact, I would give them the advice for free so we get a Yorkshire FA (which covers West, East and the area around York) - only way to grow football in our area...
 
The official view for the funding cuts is that it is to pay for Parklife, which for those that don't know is the creation of state of the art football facilities in many major cities.

I don't buy that myself, whilst those facilities will be excellent, and as I've said on another topic, what percentage of players will benefit from them? Even if it is as high as 5%, which it won't be, what about the other 95% who can't use those facilities and have lost support from their local CFAs due to funding and staff cuts. Also going to affect referees - take London as an example, at the start of November they had two full time RDOs, now they have no RDOs and rather a percentage of a Workforce Development Officer will be expected to perform the same functions. Given there are 1300 referees in London that is a hell of an ask - two FTEs into something like 0.5 to 0.75 FTEs doesn't work ...
 
No need to dissolve them, simply make them dormant. Stop their funding from national FA and they are not going concerns.

In fact, I would give them the advice for free so we get a Yorkshire FA (which covers West, East and the area around York) - only way to grow football in our area...

What would Scarborough do then? Where would Middlesbrough be bundled with?

Fwiw I agree with the concept BUT need my hometown looking after!
 
On a side note, how can a registered British Company (CFA) issue a monetary fine that is uncontestable in British Law? I know there are a few exceptions in our Laws where that you are presumed guilty in a few certain cases, but where did it become that these so called football companies can do the same..... I can't think of any other example in Company Laws where this is remotely acceptable????
 
I believe the reason they can do this lies within the terms and conditions the clubs sign with their leagues and thus The FA. The fines are imposed on the clubs not the individual. The clubs are made aware of the tariffs and the conditions under which they can appeal- they sign up to it.....
 
What would Scarborough do then? Where would Middlesbrough be bundled with?

Fwiw I agree with the concept BUT need my hometown looking after!

Scarborough would Yorkshire FA, in my view. The CFA officials would want to go somewhere sunny for the AGM and they cannot afford FIFA meeting spot of Monaco!

Middlesborough - is there going to be any football there soon. Teesside league down to 12 clubs next year?
 
So grassroots football is having its funding cut, at a time when the upper echelons of the professional side of the sport are taking more money than ever? That's sustainable...
 
Grass roots isn't the future of British football. The FA know they can safely cut funding because children who have the ability, and luck, will be picked up by academies
 
On a side note, how can a registered British Company (CFA) issue a monetary fine that is uncontestable in British Law? I know there are a few exceptions in our Laws where that you are presumed guilty in a few certain cases, but where did it become that these so called football companies can do the same..... I can't think of any other example in Company Laws where this is remotely acceptable????
late payment charge if you pay your bill late. Dress it up all you want. Its a fine.
 
Grass roots isn't the future of British football. The FA know they can safely cut funding because children who have the ability, and luck, will be picked up by academies

The problem is that there are many many kids who have the talent and ability but not the opportunity to develop it, or showcase it, because the higher the standard of youth football, the higher the cost to participate.

The "luck" that you mention is laregely about being in the right place at the right time......and with a limited number of scouts, if you are not playing in the right leagues, which means you need to be in the right club, you simply aren't going to get noticed.
 
The current system also makes it doubly hard for late developers, Vardy is a prime example. If is often muted that had Messi been in our youth system he would not have made it to the pro ranks.
 
The current system also makes it doubly hard for late developers, Vardy is a prime example. If is often muted that had Messi been in our youth system he would not have made it to the pro ranks.
Vardy was drummed out of Sheffield Wednesday for Social Issues!.. Cough, and fighting with the Away Fans at SWFC matches... (had to wear a tag) At 16 when you've got lots of applicants for few places its understandable that he was shown the door. He ended up as a handyman and working in a factory for 3-4 years, then got the bug back at Stocksbridge Park Steels, Halifax Town, Fleetwood and then amazingly Leicester snapped him up for 1 million in 2012... The rest, as they say is history... He is a bit of a one horse pony that this season has been found out as teams know how to neutralise him.... Not really a good example of our scouting system... More a one season wonder!!
 
Grass roots isn't the future of British football.

I think that depends on what you mean by the future of British football. If you mean success for the national teams then you might be right.

The FA should be encouraging grassroots football for its own sake, not because it will benefit the national teams. The reason football is the most popular spectator sport in the world is that so many people play it at grassroots level.
 
I think that depends on what you mean by the future of British football. If you mean success for the national teams then you might be right.

The FA should be encouraging grassroots football for its own sake, not because it will benefit the national teams. The reason football is the most popular spectator sport in the world is that so many people play it at grassroots level.

While I was initially referring to the national teams, i think it equally applies to the game over all.

It's all about money, and there's precious little of that at the level most of us officiate at.

Leagues are also losing teams like it's going out of fashion in some places as well, with apparently very little being done to get more involved.
 
While I was initially referring to the national teams, i think it equally applies to the game over all.

It's all about money, and there's precious little of that at the level most of us officiate at.

Leagues are also losing teams like it's going out of fashion in some places as well, with apparently very little being done to get more involved.
I agree, and then we wonder why the CFA's side with players/clubs rather than referees at times - they don't want to discourage players/clubs/teams that provide their income.
 
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