This was the 32nd season of the League and this is my 6th Annual Report as Hon General Secretary.

I would firstly like to extend the League’s sincere thanks to our sponsors:

• Chris Plaister of Plaister Auto Services, who are the main sponsors of the League.
• Chris Perry and Dave Kilmurray of Corsham Print who sponsor the Senior KO Cup.
• Paul and Denise Sebastianelli of Fountain Trophies, who continued their long-standing sponsorship of the Junior KO Cup.
• Ken Clarke of Westernsport Trophies who has again donated the individual trophy for the Referees Appreciation Award.

The past season has given the League Officers and Management Committee some problems, not least for Phil Cook and Adie Cripps.  It seems a long time ago now, but we had quite a lot of rain and snow during the winter, which meant that we lost four whole weeks of fixtures.  Despite this, as always, Phil managed to get both the League and Cup competitions completed on time.  Adie was in his first season as Hon Referees’ Appointments Secretary and I’m sure you will agree, did a splendid job in ensuring that every match had appointed Match Officials.  We only had four instances where we were short of an Assistant Referee in the Premier Division (for various reasons) and only one match throughout Divisions 1 and 2 without a Referee (who failed to turn up).

Changes to the web site, both for fixtures and Match Official appointments were updated on a weekly basis throughout the season.  From the start of next season, we intend to use The FA Full-Time web site, which will enable any such changes to be made immediately.  The current League web site www.wiltshirefootballleague.com will continue, but mainly for reference and archive purposes.  The Full-Time web site includes a text service for results and automatic League table updates.  I’ll communicate details to you once it’s up and running.

You will that we are proposing to make only a couple of changes to Rules for next season that will effect Clubs.  One of these is that registrations must be lodged with the Hon Registration Secretary by 12 noon on the day before the match (previously, 7.00pm).  The other change is to the rule when notifying Match Officials, opponents, etc of postponements.  In future, this must be made by telephone.

The Football Association’s restructure of non-League football is still ongoing, but we understand that the required standards for Step 5 Clubs (Hellenic and Western League Premier Divisions) are now in place and that standards for Step 6 Clubs have to be in place by the end of the coming season.  We understand that some Step 6 Clubs will have difficulty in achieving the required standards, which could mean some Clubs returning to the County Leagues.  The current financial situation has also had an affect and some Step 6 Clubs may find it makes economic sense to return to Step 7.  The FA is aiming to standardise facilities for Step 7 Clubs next and a Ground Grading document is nearing agreement.  There are currently 43 Leagues at Step 7 and they plan to reduce this with the remainder being set at Steps 7A, B and C.  It is therefore vital that both we and the Clubs in this League maintain high standards as we wish to retain our status as a Step 7 League.  The FA are also questioning the number of Reserve teams in our League and we are in consultation with the Wiltshire FA to see how we can increase the number of 1st teams in our Premier Division.

This League also has Supply League status for the development and promotion of Referees.  The number of Supply Leagues has dropped from 53 to 36 in the past couple of seasons and we hear that the number may be reduced again, so it is equally vital that we work with the Wiltshire FA to ensure that we retain this status.

Again, one of the most common complaints I received during the past season concerned lack of hospitality and poor changing room accommodation (not swept out, cold showers, etc).  The provision of hospitality is not currently a Rule in this League, but it is expected that home Clubs, particularly in the Premier Division, provide both the opposition and Match Officials with drinks at half and full time.  Most Clubs do this particularly well, but it would be good to see everyone do it.

During the season we again had to update our 3-year Development Plan for submission to The FA and a further updated Plan and Report has to be submitted before the start of next season.  With assistance from League Officers and Management Committee, last season’s Plan was completed, presented to The FA and duly approved.  We subsequently received a grant of £4,750 towards the running of the League.  One of the results of the Development Plan you receive at the AGM is a 1st Aid kit for each team.  As a follow up to the running of First Aid Courses for all Clubs last season, The FA have given us a grant to cover 50% of the cost of providing the kits.  In addition to all Clubs now having at least one qualified First Aider, every team will now have a very good 1st Aid kit.  The Management Committee is currently looking at other ways in which we can help Clubs.

The discussions with the Dorset, Gloucestershire and Somerset Leagues resulted in the formation of the Western Counties Inter-League Competition and I am pleased to report that this League won the inaugural competition.  A 1-0 victory over Somerset at Corsham Town in November was followed by a 2-1 win over a very strong Gloucestershire side down at Yate in April.  Many thanks and congratulations to Kevin Cook of Wroughton FC and Stef Kuczynski of Purton FC, who managed the side and to the players who gave up their time to represent the League.  Should any Club wish to nominate players, please submit their names to the Hon General Secretary.  The League again entered the FA National League System Cup, which is a bi-annual competition and have been drawn at home to Jersey in Round 1.  This game has been arranged for 19th September.  

I commence with a few thank you’s.  Firstly, to my fellow League Officers and Management Committee for continuing to run the League in an excellent manner.  To all the Club Secretaries for the way in which you have run your Clubs during the past season and the time and effort you put into, what is often a thankless task.  To all the League sponsors, who’s support for this League is very much appreciated.  Finally, to all our Referees, without whom the League could not function.

May I also congratulate the Clubs who achieved success this season, whether in League or Cup competitions.

I would also like to thank Kevin Cook of Wroughton FC and his assistants plus the players who helped the League Representative team to what has been an excellent season.

The forthcoming season will again see new challenges to face with the introduction of the Match-Based Discipline System and further meetings with The FA regarding our Step 7 status, but rest assured that your League Officers will do their utmost to maintain the high esteem in which this League is held.

Thanks to you all once again, enjoy your summer break and look forward to starting again in August.

Bill Shail

Chairman

I submit my report for the 25th occasion and once again, the League has achieved a satisfactory profit of £914, which is £3,887 less than last year and can be explained by the following factors:

• Income from fines was down by £274 and interest received from the Building Society was £636 less (last year the League also received a £640 bonus following the merger of the Portman Building Society with Nationwide). 
• Additional expenditure related to awards for the Subsidiary Cup Competition, telephone (+£325), printing and stationery (+£603), Committee travelling expenses (+£88), Honoraria and office expenses (+£300 as approved at the 2008 AGM), Representative games (+£352), office equipment (+£475), scanning of League Minutes (+£604) and purchase of First Aid kits (+£2,182).

Part of the additional expenditure was covered by an increased grant from The Football Association towards the First Aid kits and office equipment.  The League also received £900 from new Clubs’ entrance fees last season.

Clubs will be pleased to hear that your Management Committee do not propose to recommend any increase in Honoraria or office expenses for League Officers this year.

The League is financially strong and has total assets of £43,611.

I thank all the Clubs and League Officers for their co-operation with me throughout the last year.

J S Northover

Hon Treasurer

During yet another very busy season (my 28th), I experienced quite a few problems, for which Clubs’ co-operation is sought in future.  Whilst I appreciate your calling me beforehand to request coming around to collect forms, I’ve often waited in only for the caller not to show up.  I am sure you will agree that this is very inconvenient, so please come around when you say and not days later.  I am a volunteer like the rest of the Committee and cannot be available 24/7.

Registration Forms

Despite this being the second season of the new type forms, some clubs continually omit to either fill in the forms completely (including the bottom part), forget signatures or forget to submit the Registration Fee.  These all result in lots of unnecessary calls having to be made to point out these various errors. All of which costs you, me and the League time and money.  Incomplete forms will in future, be returned for correction, the relevant player(s) will not be registered until the form is correctly submitted.

Large Letters

May I also request that when posting “large” letters to me, that you carefully check the size and weight.  The “good old days” when a postman sensibly knocked to request the difference, have gone and I have had to make several trips to my local sorting office to pay for underpaid postage and to retrieve letters. A “normal” sized envelope carrying a 1st or 2nd class stamp is currently still in order.

Result Sheets

Remember to fully complete these, including E C Mills Trophy marks and to always sign the form.

Match Officials’ Expenses

Some clubs are still submitting incorrect information ..... just deduct the Match Officials fee(s) from the total paid out and this is the expenses figure.  If not, the Result Sheet is incorrect.  In future, Clubs will be fined for this.  I have been very lenient so far!

Total registrations for the season were 1785, an increase of 122 on last season.  Total transfers totalled 66, an increase of 11.         .

Congratulations to all those Clubs who were successful in their League or Cup competition.

Rod Wirdnam

Hon. Registration Secretary

Many hours of hard work have been put into making sure all matches have had the required amount of Match Officials on for this season and to be fair, for my first season in the job, I think I have had quite a good success rate.

Little did I know how much work is involved in this job and, I am not only the Referees' Appointment Secretary, I also collate marks for both the Wiltshire FA and The FA, answer Club Secretaries’ queries and deal with Referees who can issue problems from time to time.  I have also tried very hard to keep Club expenses down throughout the season, but this has not always been possible due to Officials dropping out of their fixture and a replacement not always being as local as I would like, so if you have had grumbles about expenses during the season, spare a thought for me for all the telephone calls and time I have put in to making sure clubs have had their quota of Officials.  

For next season I hope The FA will allocate the League more Level 4 Referees' which will help.  Both the Wiltshire FA and The FA regularly take Match Officials for County and FA Competitions, which causes me no end of problems.

I also hope to invite more Referees on to our League to make things easier all round and improve on the past season.  I will work hard to ensure that all Clubs get their required allocation of Match Officials for all matches.  Most of all, I hope all parties have a very enjoyable and successful 2009/10 season.

Adie Cripps

Hon Referees’ Appointments Secretary

The Discipline Sub-Committee dealt with 315 cases last season, an increase of just 1 on the previous season.  Clubs who fail to pay on time are promptly chased and, in some cases, suspended from the League until fines had been paid.  Income from disciplinary matters was £274 down on last season.

The table below highlights the most common offences:

Ineligible players 33 cases

(32 cases in 07/08) This could be easily remedied by checking with the Hon Registration Secretary.

Late Result Sheets 55 cases

(44 cases in 07/08) Please try and post the Result Sheet immediately after the match.

Incorrect Result Sheets 26 cases

(18 cases in 07/08) If you are in any doubt as to how to complete a Result Sheet, please check with the Hon Registration Secretary.

Failure to notify and/or confirm a postponement 62 cases

(38 cases in 07/08) We’re sure you tell your players if a game is off - try and remember to tell the League as well.  Phone in first then confirm the reason in writing on the form provided.

Failure to phone in results 39 cases

(85 cases in 07/08) Most people have mobiles nowadays.  This shouldn’t really be a problem

This season saw 195 fixtures postponed for various reasons, an increase of 58 on last season, which was mainly due to the weather in December and January.  The policy of deducting a point from Clubs found guilty of postponing games without a satisfactory explanation continues to have an ongoing positive effect.  Postponements cause a vast amount of additional work for both the Hon Fixture Secretary and for the Hon Referees’ Appointments Secretary.

There were 39 cases of Clubs failing to telephone in their results, which was more than a 50% decrease on last season and is very encouraging.  Most people own a mobile phone nowadays, so it really shouldn’t be a problem to get someone to phone in your result immediately after the game.

The Premier Division title race was very close, right up until the first week in May when New College Swindon caught up their games in hand to take the title.  Runners-Up position wasn’t decided until late in the season, when Melksham Town edged out both Purton and Calne Town.

Division 1 provided the most keenly fought competition for many years and it went to the last match of the season when Minety edged out AFC Castrol on goal difference.  Long time leaders, SKS Blyskawica and KC filled the next two places.  We must say that, in this Division, the numbers of cases of Clubs fielding ineligible players was very disappointing.  This is shown in the final tables by the number of Clubs having points deducted and also had a bearing on honours.

Two new Clubs took the honours in Division 2.  Greenmeadow remained unbeaten until early in 2008 and were also declared Champions in February.  Byrons Wanderers were always chasing and deservedly took Runners-Up position from Swindon Irons and Moredon Cheney.

Melksham Town won the Corsham Print Senior KO Cup in their fourth successive final, defeating Bradford Town 3-1 in the final.  Chalke Valley won a keenly contested Fountain Trophies Junior KO Cup with the only goal, deep in extra time and prevented Greenmeadow from achieving a League and Cup double.  Both finals were again played at Corsham Town and we thank them for their hospitality and use of their facilities.

Congratulations must go to New College Swindon on their first Premier Division title and also to both Greenmeadow and Chalke Valley on gaining their first ever honours in this League.

Congratulations also to AFC Castrol who reached the semi-finals of the Wiltshire FA Junior Cup (losing in a penalty shoot-out) and to Minety, who reached the Quarter-Finals.

Congratulations must also be extended to KC who, at the time of writing, look likely to be awarded Senior Status by the Wiltshire FA and take their place in the Premier Division next season.

In closing, I must thank our President, Dennis Kilford and Chairman, Bill Shail with whom I work very closely and are both always there for help and assistance.  I also extend my thanks to my fellow League Officers and Management Committee for all their help and assistance over the past season.

Finally, many congratulations to Ernie Sumbler who, after 20 years service on the Management Committee, becomes a Life Member of the League and thereby joins six other serving Committee members who are Life Members ….. a testament to the stability of the League.

Best wishes to all Clubs for a good summer break and a successful season in 2009 - 2010.

Jim Thorn

Hon General Secretary