Club Newsletter
Following the committee meeting of 19 October 2026
Committee changes
As the club grows, so does the work behind it. The committee has agreed a number of changes to spread that workload properly rather than leaving it sitting with the same few people.
Steven Hussin has agreed to become Vice Chairman, supporting Bryan Mills as Chairman. Steven continues as Head Groundsman.
Callum Jones has agreed to take on the role of Men's Secretary. This splits the secretarial workload as the club expands, rather than one person carrying the administration for every team. Shaun Bailiff continues as Club Secretary. Callum also continues to head up Mini-Kickers, building on the growth he delivered there last season.
Our thanks to both for taking these on. Every one of these roles is unpaid.
Standards of conduct — an important reminder
We would like to remind all parents, spectators and visitors that smoking and the use of illegal drugs are not permitted within Elton JFC's club environment, including at the entrance to the field and during training sessions and matches.
We have recently been made aware of a concern regarding a spectator reportedly smoking cannabis at the entrance to the football field. We take these concerns seriously and would like to reinforce that this behaviour is not acceptable around our children, families and volunteers.
All parents and spectators are expected to adhere to the club's standards of conduct and help us maintain a safe, appropriate and family friendly environment at all times, both at home and away fixtures.
If you witness any breach of these expectations or have a welfare concern, please report it directly to a member of the coaching team at the session, or to our Child Welfare Officer, Sarah Case. If neither is available at the time, email club@eltonjfc.co.uk with the subject line FAO - Child Welfare Officer. Please provide details of the incident, including the date, time and location where possible, so it can be recorded and addressed appropriately. We ask that concerns are reported directly rather than discussed in group chats.
Thank you for your cooperation and support in upholding the standards expected of everyone associated with Elton JFC.
Floodlights — where we are
The Football Foundation funding is due to be paid to the club by the end of October. Once received, that releases the purchase of the floodlights.
This matters because winter training currently takes our teams to an away venue at Helsby, which costs the club over £6,000 a season. Bringing winter training home to Elton Field (where we can) keeps that money inside the club rather than paying it out to a third party.
Once the lights are physically with the club, the committee will establish the proposed winter training plan around them. To be clear: this will take into account training times, training days and the state of the pitches.
The committee will review it properly once the lights are in our hands and we can map out our first winter with them. As always in the UK, the weather can either help or hinder our plan. This will take time to get the right plan for our club long term.
Christmas activities 2026
The club has grown significantly this summer, adding three additional teams. That growth changes how we handle Christmas.
Rather than one club-wide event, the committee has decided that each manager will plan their own team's Christmas activity, if they wish to. The club will make a donation towards each team's activity of £10 per registered child, and parents will be asked to supplement the remainder, in the same way the club has asked for a contribution towards Christmas activities in previous years.
Your team manager will be leading the organisation of this and will confirm what the parent contribution will be for that team. This means each age group gets something appropriate to them rather than one compromise event for players aged 4 to 10.
A word from the Chairman
The club has progressed nicely over the last few months. More teams, more players, more volunteers, more going on.
As always, as a club gets bigger and more people get involved, there are growing pains. That is normal and it is not a sign anything is wrong. What matters is how we deal with them. I'd ask that where issues come up, they're recognised for what they are, handled with respect, and raised through the right channels so they can actually be fixed.
If you have a question or a concern, speak to your team manager first. They know your child and their squad, and the large majority of things are resolved there. If it needs a club decision, your manager will bring it to the committee and come back to you. If you've been through that and still don't feel it's resolved, email club@eltonjfc.co.uk with the subject line FAO - followed by the relevant role. Safeguarding concerns are the one exception and should go straight to our Welfare Officer, as set out above.
Thank you, all of you, for the support you give these children. We genuinely enjoy watching them grow and develop, and none of it happens without the hours our volunteers and parents put in.
See you at the next one.
Up the Elton! ⚽