This update is for all YEL club officials, team managers and referees and covers
WHERE YOU SHOULD BE NOW – Checklist
- League Fees paid – deadline 31st August
- Full-Time log in checked
- SMS Text
- Venues all correct
Team sheets & ID Cards to be suspended
COVID-19 Update
Referees
Where you should be now – Checklist
League Fees – In order to start the season, all league fees should be paid no later than 31st August. Any teams who have any financial issues should email ceo@yelonline.com in confidence, giving details.
As there have been a number of last minute issues, we have not yet been able to update Scoreline to show payments received. Please do not email us if Scoreline is still showing outstanding if you have paid your fees. These will be updated over the next three weeks. We will be taking clubs on trust that the payments have been made up until then.
Full-Time log in checked – Over the last few weeks, the office has been sending out automated Full-Time verification emails to all Team admins registered on Whole Game System/Full-Time. If you have had once of these and not logged in successfully due to the email having timed out (only live for 48 hours) or you are having any other difficulties including not having received one, please email the office – office@yelonline.com – as it is essential that every team has a verified team contact in order for you to receive fixtures and be able to complete match reports after the game.
SMS text – Every team should have an SMS text contact in order to receive the SMS text during the game to input the final score at the end of the match. John in the YEL Office has been contacting teams to ensure that this process is completed in time for the start of the season. If you have been contacted and not been back in touch with the YEL Office to confirm you are the SMS text contact, pleas respond as soon as possible. There are only around a dozen teams who have not responded. If you receive a text message on the first weekend of the season (5th/6th September) and are not the right contact, please contact the office. If you don’t receive a text on the first day of the season (5th/6th September) and feel you should have done, again please email the office.
Venue correct for your team – Sarah has spent a long time updating venues on Scoreline/Full-Time. If your venue is still showing incorrectly on either Scoreline or Full-Time please email the office stating the name of your team, age group and playing day and let us know what the correct home venue for your team is and where it is incorrectly displayed (Scoreline, Full-Time or Both)
Team sheets/ID sheets – SUSPENSION
Due to the current increase in COVID-19 cases being reported, we have taken the decision to SUSPEND THE USE OF TEAM SHEETS AND ID CARD CHECKS. This will be reviewed at the end of the Winter season. This means that you do not need to show your ID cards to the opposition or give a team sheet to the referee on match day. This decision has been taken to minimise the shared ‘touch surfaces’ on match day. We feel, given the current worsening state of the pandemic, that it is more important to take a safety first approach. Be aware that spot checks will be carried out by YEL staff and YEL Respect Field Officers. Any team found to be playing an unauthorised player will be liable to a maximum £100 fine.
COVID-19 Update
The latest news form the Government does not make good reading as recorded daily new cases have this week reached the highest levels since June. Whilst the onus has been placed on Clubs/teams to produce risk assessments and matchday guidelines for their coaches, players and spectators we, as administrators of the league, will not allow any teams to undermine the brilliant effort from the volunteer COVID-19 Coordinators who have worked to produce information to keep everyone as safe as possible. On this note we were incredibly disappointed to hear that one manager who was playing a friendly against one of YEL teams, showed an amazingly irresponsible attitude by stating that they didn’t plan to do anything any differently to last season. This is totally unacceptable behaviour and we will work with that team’s COVID-19 Coordinator to ensure they are ‘educated.’ As a league, if we find out that there are repeat offenders who flout their own club guidance after intervention by their COVID-19 Coordinators, we will simply remove the risk by withdrawing their fixtures. People are still dying from this terrible illness. Everyone needs to do their part in protecting everyone else.
U7s & U8s
Just a reminder to any new U7s & U8s teams being formed, the deadline to enter your team for the start of the season has now passed however you can still enter a team now up until the beginning of October for the next round of fixtures which will start mid to end of October.
Referees
ALL referees – need to note the point above regarding team sheets and ID card checks. Any referees who have not yet re-registered with the county FA/YEL are encouraged to do so as soon as possible as we are very short of officials. Any help needed in getting re-registered, drop Sarah Smith an email – office@yelonline.com – and she will do her best to get you sorted.
All clubs/Teams – Every County FA across the country is experiencing a massive shortage of referees. This has a knock on effect to the YEL. Usually, 120 new referees are trained during Easter and the summer holidays. Lockdown and the ongoing social distancing has meant that this has not been possible. Please be aware that we are probably only going to be able to cover 1 in 2 matches to start off with. Hopefully more referees will re-register and courses allowed to restart in the medium term but, in the short term, you are going to have to have a volunteer parent/club official help out for a lot of your games. There is no way round this. Please don’t moan to the league. We can only appoint what we have available.
I would urge all managers to ensure that your parents and players are made very aware of this and educate them to exercise restraint if a stand in referee makes the odd bad decision. It must be stressed that they are helping out to get the games on – don’t abuse them or it will be your turn to referee next!
Rob Harwood CEO
YEL OFFICE