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Aims & Activities

TONBRIDGE JUNIOR FOOTBALL CLUB is in its twelth season and currently has about 300 junior members. This season we have 26 teams, ranging in age from under 6 to under 15 years, who train regularly and, from Under 7, participate in league competitions and tournaments -taking the teams, club officials and their supporters, into three different counties on a regular basis.

We are one of the founding Clubs of the Mini-Alliance - now in our ninth season - and, apart from having one of the largest representations in the League, are by far the largest provider of Mini Soccer in the Tonbridge area with 19 registered teams.  We actively support the need for training in football skills and at least one Leader/Manager in every agegroup holds the FA Level 1 / 2 Coaching Certificate or the Junior Team Managers certificate, which includes emergency first aid training.

The Football Association, based on medical advice, has banned 11-a-side football in the younger age-groups, so we are very well placed to provide quality football for younger players based upon the new F.A guidelines.  The standard of football has improved significantly in the past 9 years and, although we do not publish results, when the League recently grouped teams based on their respective performance, all our younger age-groups were placed in the top division of their respective leagues.  This is all the more satisfying as we strictly apply the principle that all members should play an equal amount of games, irrespective of their individual skill.

Our Club Secretary is the Small Sided Secretary of the Crowborough & District Junior Football League and our Chairman is the Small Sided Fixtures Secretary for the Mini-Soccer Alliance of that same league.  Our Chairman is also the Junior Football representative on the Executive Committee of the Tonbridge Sports Association.  

League matches for all agegroups  are played at The Racecourse Sports Ground, Tonbridge.

The Under 7s - Under 11's normally play on Saturdays, and the older age-groups on Sundays.

Keeping in touch with all our members and their families is a vital factor in the club's well-being and we do this by the regular distribution of our own newsletter "THE NEW UPDATE".

After the close of the season we hold two OPEN DAYS - open to both boys and girls.

Our PRESENTATION NIGHT is the highlight of the year for the members and their families when every boy or girl who is registered with the club receives an award.  Special awards are given for the Players' Player, Manager's Player and Most Improved Player in each age-group. Club sportsmanship awards are also presented.

SPONSORSHIPS - As you can imagine the amount of expense for renting training grounds and match pitches, league fees, renewing equipment and the presentation night awards is quite enormous on an annual basis - but we do endeavour to keep the annual contribution made by players' parents as low as possible. You might have noticed that we have omitted to mention players' strip in the list of annual expenses. This is because we do not expect to replace strip on an annual basis. We are always pleased to receive contact from anyone willing to consider providing the sponsorship to cover the cost of the replacement strip for one of our mini soccer teams - at a cost of approximately £300, inclusive of printing and advertising on the front. Our sponsors' details are always added to our headed stationery, including the specially printed 'Fiesta' stationery.

Over the weekend of 16/17 July 2005 we will be hosting our twelth   FOOTBALL FIESTA - a massive celebration of sportsmanship and family enjoyment - at The Racecourse Sportsground, Tonbridge

The event, which is registered with the Kent County Football Association, has now not only become a prestigious annual event but is believed to be the largest event of its kind in the world and easily the largest amateur sporting event here in Tonbridge, with many dignitories and club scouts attending.  Scouts from Arsenal, Chelsea, Charlton, Southampton, Fulham, Crystal Palace, Millwall and Gillingham FC are known to have attended in recent years..

The event is split into four half-day sessions with presentations made at the end of each session.

Besides continuous footballing activity from 9-6 on both days there are many OTHER ATTRACTIONS:  The St. John Ambulance are always on duty throughout.

The event is actually co-ordinated, controlled and manned by a small army of dedicated people on a totally voluntary basis, including the 40 or so QUALIFIED REFEREES who attend.

We pride ourselves on the many complimentary remarks received regarding the good organisation, great sportsmanship and friendly atmosphere.

In 2004, 308 teams, ranging in age from under 7 to over 35, Girls and Ladies from 100 clubs registered in six counties, played 1000 matches over the weekend. About 12,000 people attended.

SPONSORSHIPS - The event has been exclusively sponsored in 2003, 2004 and 2005 by Piggybank Corporation Limited, in association with KMfm, and receives tremendous support in kind from the borough council, many local businesses and local organisations. There is a considerable financial outlay necessary to stage the event and we would welcome contact from any potential sponsors for future years.

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