FAQs

To register your child with Appleton AFC, please our Player Registration page. Follow the instructions provided to complete the registration process online. If you encounter any difficulties or have questions, feel free to reach out to our registration team for assistance.

Appleton AFC welcomes players of all ages, from young beginners to seasoned veterans. We offer programs for various age groups, starting from Under 5s all the way up to Under 18s, ensuring that there’s a suitable football experience for every child.

Absolutely! We are proud to have a vibrant girls’ football program at Appleton AFC. Girls of all ages and skill levels are welcome to join our teams and experience the excitement of playing football in a supportive and inclusive environment.

Training schedules and match fixtures vary depending on the age group and time of year. Generally, teams train weekly, with matches scheduled on weekends during the football season. Additionally, friendly matches and tournaments may be organised throughout the year for additional playing opportunities.

Our teams are led by dedicated and experienced parent coaches who are passionate about football and committed to player development. Many of our coaches have coaching qualifications and undergo continuous training to ensure the best possible experience for our players.

We welcome volunteers and supporters who are passionate about football and eager to contribute to our club’s success. Whether you’re interested in coaching, assisting with administration, or supporting match days, there are plenty of ways to get involved.

The safety and well-being of our players and coaches are paramount at Appleton AFC. We adhere to all relevant safety guidelines and protocols, including those issued by local health authorities and football governing bodies. Our facilities are regularly inspected and maintained to ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone involved in our programs.

Safeguarding in grassroots football refers to the measures put in place to protect the well-being and safety of children and young people who participate in football activities at the grassroots level. It involves creating a safe environment, preventing harm, and promoting the welfare of all participants.

Safeguarding is a collective responsibility involving coaches, volunteers, parents, club officials, and football organisations at various levels. Each individual involved in grassroots football should be aware of their role in safeguarding and contribute to creating a safe environment for young players.

Key elements of safeguarding include creating and implementing safeguarding policies and procedures, conducting background checks on coaches and volunteers, providing education and training on safeguarding, promoting awareness among players and parents, and establishing reporting mechanisms for concerns or incidents.

Parents/guardians play a vital role in safeguarding by actively engaging with their child’s football club, understanding the club’s safeguarding policies and procedures, encouraging open communication with their child about their experiences in football, and being vigilant for any signs of harm or misconduct.

If you have concerns about the welfare of a child, it’s essential to follow the club’s safeguarding procedures. This may involve reporting your concerns to the club’s designated safeguarding officer or another appropriate authority, such as the local child protection services or the police, depending on the nature of the concern.

Coaches and volunteers can contribute to safeguarding by undergoing appropriate background checks, receiving training on safeguarding policies and procedures, promoting a positive and inclusive environment for all players, being vigilant for signs of harm or abuse, and responding promptly and appropriately to any safeguarding concerns.

Signs of potential safeguarding concerns may include unexplained injuries, changes in behavior, withdrawal from activities, reluctance to participate, inappropriate interactions between adults and children, or disclosures of harm or abuse by a child. It’s essential to take any concerns seriously and follow the appropriate reporting procedures.

Safeguarding training should be provided regularly to individuals involved in grassroots football, including coaches, volunteers, and club officials. This training should be updated periodically to ensure that individuals are aware of current safeguarding policies and procedures and equipped to respond effectively to safeguarding concerns.

We follow the set FA Grassroots guidelines and we fall under the guidance of Cheshire County FA. We sometimes deal with other County FA areas if the team we are playing fall under that County FA.

The referee will report the incident to the FA and the FA will inform the club of any sanctions.

The referee will report the incident to the FA and the FA will inform the club of any sanctions including match suspensions.

The referee will report the incident to the FA and it is noted by them, no further sanctions are given to the individual.

The FA will inform us of the suspension and if this includes being suspended from all football activities or just for the team that they were playing for at the time of the incident.

The FA will issue the sanctions, and this can vary depending on the charges. Sometimes it is only for the team that they where playing for when they got the suspension but other times it is for all football activity.

 On all occasions unless it’s been given to the wrong person then the referee’s decision will not be challenged. FA Guidelines do not allow a yellow card to be appealed against. It is hard to challenge a red card without sufficient and acceptable evidence to challenge the referee’s on field decision. We as a club respect the referees decision, some of whom are minors and will get decisions wrong. They do not have VAR or official assistant referees. The assistant referees (lines people) are only there to indicate throw ins only (not corners/goal kicks/fouls or off sides).

For the 24/25 season, subs are calculated based on annual costs of operating the club and will be split over a 10 month period (August to May). This is a change from the 23/24 season where subs were collected over 12 months.

Transactions will be shown as “GoCardless Appleton AFC” on your bank statements.

Your subscriptions will be calculated by your answers to registration form and annual amounts payable will be:

• (Mainly) Boys playing in the WJFL: £240.00 
• Girls aged U8-U18 playing in the CGFL/ CWYFL: £240.00
• Training players: £120.00
• Academy player: £120.00 (boys and girls)

The above subs are based on the current costs of participating in either WJFL, CGFL, CWYFL or the Academies. We will aim to collect subs in over a 10 month period. In the event of a missed payment, subsequent payments may increase based on any outstanding balances.

For players registered part way through a season, subs will only apply from the point of registration and will apply pro rata.

The Club will continue to offer a sibling discount. Your eldest child will pay full subs and any siblings will have this reduced by £5 per month. Sibling discount does not apply to players in the Academy or Training Only Players.

We provide a shirt, shorts and socks for all players within a team.