Luna’s Legacy
L/R: Ian Preece (Shropshire FA). Lynnette Williams (Founder Georgia Williams Trust). Mike Hames (Chairman Shropshire Junior Football League). Tori Vespa holding Jude (Founder Luna’s Legacy). Jan Butler (Secretary Shropshire Junior Football League). Dave Simpson (Chairman Shropshire FA). Photo courtesy of Shropshire FA.
Luna’s Legacy supports local bereaved parents through community projects (they are in the process of building a baby memorial garden locally), handmade keepsakes for mum and baby, and donating money and gifts to the Maternity Bereavement Unit at the PRH for the benefit of bereaved families. The beautiful Luna-Seren was born sleeping on the 4th January 2020, at the PRH, at 37 weeks gestation. Helping other families, this is her legacy.
You can donate directly to this amazing cause here: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/victoria-vespa-1
On the 1st August Ian Preece, from Shropshire FA, will set off the on a bike ride of his life to raise awareness and funds in support of Luna’s Legacy. His journey will start at Wembley Stadium and will end at Princess Royal Hospital in Telford. He will be ably assisted and coerced on the day with a support team from Shropshire FA of Dave Simpson, Mick Murphy and Darren Beech.
Sunday 20th June 2021 was the last event of the four SJFL’s Festival of Charity Cup Finals with the U10 – U12s Consolation Charity Cup(*) hosted by Prees Juniors Football Club. Admission to the ground was £2 per car with all donations going to the league’s chosen charity for this festival being ‘Luna’s Legacy’. A sum of £259 was collected on the day and with SJFL already agreed to match fund the collection, a total of £518 is made to Luna’s Legacy (as shown in the above photo call).
(*) The festival was played at U10s (Prees Predators, Oswestry Crusaders, Meresiders Marvels and Wem Town), U11s (Whitchurch Alport Colts, Prees Mavericks, Meole Brace Hawks and Shawbury Utd Hawks). U12s (Bayston Hill Tigers, Shawbury Utd Juniors, Church Stretton Magpies and Shrewsbury Jnrs Colts) and the league are very thankful to Prees Club for allowing the use of their grounds for this festival at no cost to SJFL.
2021 has been a challenging desperate year and more with the Covid-19 pandemic, not just for grassroots football but for all walks of society, not least our local communities, and Shropshire Junior Football League is pleased to be able to help those worthy charities and demonstrate that the football family can work with the wider community for the benefit of all. SJFL also raised £3022 (collective) from the three previous 2021 Festival of Finals and made donations to PRISM Telford, Shrewsbury Foodbank Plus and Oswestry and Borders Foodbank – please read their stories at https://shropshirejuniorleague.co.uk/category/charities/
Mike Hames (Chairman) and Jan Butler (General Secretary) of the Shropshire Junior Football League
ENGLISH FOOTBALL INTRODUCES NEW GUIDANCE FOR HEADING AHEAD OF 2021-22 SEASON
English football will introduce heading guidance across every level of the professional and amateur game from the start of the 2021-22 season.
The new guidance, which is specifically focused on training sessions where the majority of heading occurs, has been designed to meet the requirements of each level of English football. The guidance will be applicable to clubs in the Premier League, EFL, Barclays Women’s Super League, FA Women’s Championship, the National League System, the Women’s Football Pyramid Tiers 3 and below, all grassroots football, and across the England national teams.
The new heading guidance has been agreed between the FA, Premier League, EFL, the PFA and the LMA.
Read the full guidance here.
FA Heading Guidelines for Youth Football download you copy here.
Futsal For All – Disability Futsal Festival Feb 2022
Shropshire Junior Football League sponsored and facilitated a FOOTBALL FOR ALL Futsal festival to give access and opportunity to disability football teams to play futsal in a controlled, safe and friendly environment.
The festival, initiated by the junior league, was organised in partnership with Shropshire Football Association, who invited affiliated disability teams, prepared a risk assessment, plus the futsal programme of games, and Shrewsbury Sports Village who hosted the event on Sunday 20th Feb 2022. The junior league funded the event from their charity community account which has supported many worthy charities over the seasons including over £2000 donated to Shrewsbury and Oswestry Foodbanks last year during the height of the covid pandemic.
Seven teams from across the county (inc. one from Kidderminster) and over 50 players participated in the futsal festival, with each team playing four games. The junior league provided the futsal qualified referees and at the end of the festival presented every player with a medal to recognise their part in this inaugural event. Given the success and positive feedback, the Shropshire Junior Football League has agreed to continue to promote FOOTBALL FOR ALL – Futsal for Disability Teams by sponsoring the event as an annual festival and will look to host this at Shrewsbury Sports Village.
All photo calls courtesy of Becky Reid at SJFL
SJFL CHARITY CUP FESTIVAL of FINALS 2022 – And Sponsoring Local Charities
2021/2022 has again been a challenging season with the Covid-19 pandemic still affecting community grassroots football and many local communities.
It was not until April 2021 that outdoor grassroots football was allowed to restart that the league decided to concentrate on a Charity Cup Festival competition to end the 2020/21 season. With absolute support from Market Drayton Town FC, Shrewsbury Town In The Community (Ludlow Stadium) and The New Saints FC who all agreed to support the league and host a festival of finals, to help local charities, and a staggering total of £3022 was raised for the foodbanks at Shrewsbury and Oswestry and Mental Illness/bereavement counselling (PRISM) in young people – read the full story.
Now came the new challenge, could the league replicate the 2021 achievements (supporting local charities) in 2022 but also complete a full match programme for the competition (unlike the null and void league fixtures in 2021)? The first charity appeal that went out was for Christmas 2021 – ‘SJFL Christmas Toy Donation Appeal for Children In Hospital Over Christmas and to Help Struggling Families’ – £700 and toys were donated by member clubs – read the full story.
Whilst the 2021/22 season has been disrupted due to Covid-19, age groups U10 – U16 have actively been playing league/development fixtures and cup/trophy games for the Charity Cup competition and again Market Drayton Town FC, STITC (Ludlow) and TNS FC offered their support to host the finals [unfortunately the finals at Park Hall (TNS FC) have had to be moved as their pitch is being relaid – but MDT FC kindly offered to cover the U15 -U16s finals ]. The U7 – U10s have been playing development fixtures and also Futsal 2022 and during the February Half-Term, SJFL sponsored ‘Futsal For All – Disability Futsal Festival’ with over 50 participants taking part – read the full story.
SJFL 2022 Charity Cup Festival of Finals (Market Drayton, Greenfields Stadium) – Sponsoring Derwen College
Shropshire Junior Football League would like to give a special thank you to Market Drayton Town FC for hosting the last round of three SJFL 2022 Charity Cup Festival of Finals at their Greenfields Stadium on 15th May. These finals were originally scheduled to be played at The New Saints FC, Park Hall Stadium but with their pitch being relaid MDT FC offered their ground without any second thoughts. This is the sixth season of the league’s partnership with the senior club and will see Greenfields Stadium being an excellent setting to close the season for the 2022 SJFL U15 and U16s Charity Cup Finals. SJFL is pleased that MDT FC continues to support junior grassroots and community football.
At today’s finals SJFL are sponsoring Derwen College and supporting the FA Heads Up Campaign. The league pledged £250 plus gate receipts (excl. expenses) and a grand total of £452 was raised with a cheque presented to the charity on behalf of SJFL and partners to help continue the excellent work of this charity. We thank all supporters for your charitable donations made today.
Download a PDF of the finals programme here
Please read more about the work at Derwem College here
L/R Mike Hames (Chairman SJFL). Sue Healey (Bill Healey Memorial Cup) representing Derwen College. Jan Butler (Secretary SJFL) photo courtesy of Becky Reid (SJFL Social Secretary)
The league was also very pleased to welcome Sue Healey, as a special guest to the finals, and to present the inaugural Bill Healey. Memorial Cup. The Bill Healey Memorial Cup has been been donated to the league by his family and is in recognition of Bill’s commitment and support of junior grassroots football. Sadly Bill passed away in October 2021 but he will be remembered for his services as an officer of SJFL. He served as Player Registration Secretary for many seasons and was a founder member of Gobowen Youth Football Club. The league is honoured to receive the trophy which will be played for each year in the SJFL Charity Cup competition.
SJFL 2022 U15 and U16 Charity Cup and Trophy Winners at Market Drayton FC (15th May)
U15 Charity Cup winners – Shrewsbury Up and Comers Hawks
U16 Charity Cup (The Bill Healey Memorial Cup) winners – Shrewsbury Up and Comers Ospreys
U16 Consolation Charity Cup winners – Meole Brace Juniors
SJFL also thank the Georgia Williams Trust, as the league’s Respect partners, who presented the medals and trophies to the U15 Charity Cup and U16 Consolation Charity Cup winners and finalist and respective ‘Player of The Finals’ awards.
Download your copy of the SJFL 2022 Charity Cup Festival of Finals (U15 – U16s) here
SJFL also continues to support the FA Heads Up – “Imagine if we talked about mental health as we talk about football” read more here
SJFL 2022 Charity Cup Festival (Ludlow) – Sponsoring Empathy For Special Children
Ludlow Stadium (STITC) was the setting of the next round of the SJFL 2022 Charity Cup Festival of Finals held on 8th May with Empathy For Special Children, being the sponsored charity for these finals. The league was pleased to welcome charity guests, Sam and Liv, who helped with the medal presentations for the two U13 Charity Cup finals. The league pledged £250 plus the gate receipts (excl. expenses) and a grand total of £604 was raised with a cheque presented to Sam to help continue the excellent work of this charity – read more about the charity.
Download a PDF of the finals programme here
L/R Mike Hames (Chairman SJFL). Sam (Empathy For Special Children). Jan Butler (Secretary SJFL) photo courtesy of Becky Reid (SJFL Social Secretary)
SJFL 2022 U13, U14 and U15 Charity Cup and Trophy Winners at Ludlow Stadium (8th May)
U13 Charity Cup winners SAHA Storm – Finalists Market Drayton Tiger Colts.
U13 Consolation Cup winners Up & Comers Eagles – Finalists Shrewsbury Jnrs Lions.
U14 Charity Cup winners Bayston Hill Jnrs Blues- Finalists Meole Brace Colts.
U14 Consolation Cup winners SAHA Storm- Finalists Prees Pumas.
U15 Consolation Cup winners Shrewsbury Juniors- Finalists Up & Comers Falcons.
The league extends many thanks to the match officials at the finals Matty Jones, Dominic Whittingham, Jason Keeley, Adam Reid, Sam Breeze and Kev Breeze.
Download your copy of the SJFL 2022 Charity Cup Festival of Finals programme (Ludlow) – U13. U14 & U15s here
Facebook posts and more photo calls here
Extracts from Facebook:
Julie Robinson
Thanks for all the hard work and organisation that went into putting this event on. Many thanks to all the officials on the day, it was a great experience for all who took part and finally a fabulous amount raised for charity. Well done all – Shrewsbury Juniors U13 Lions.
Dean Langford
Well Done to Everyone InvolvedGreat day Thanks to League and Refs for their efforts and hospitality – Dean, U14 SAHA Storm.
The first of the SJFL 2022 Charity Cup Festival of Finals was held at Market Drayton Town FC on 24th April. The league pledged £250 plus the gate receipts (excl. expenses) to The Harry Johnson Trust, being the sponsored charity for these finals. The league was pleased to welcome the charity guest, Sally Johnson, who helped with the medal presentations for the U10 Charity Cup finals and a grand total of £662 was raised with a cheque presented to Sally to help continue the excellent work of this charity – read more about the charity at a successful season is so far unfolding.
Download a PDF of the finals programme here
L/R Mike Hames (Chairman SJFL). Sally Johnson (The Harry Johnson Trust). Jan Butler (Secretary SJFL) photo courtesy of Becky Reid (SJFL Social Secretary)
SJFL 2022 Charity Cup and Trophy Winners:
U10 Charity Cup – SAHA Comets
U10 Consolation Charity Cup – Ellesmere Rangers
U11 Charity Cup – SAHA Colts
U11 Consolation Charity Cup – SAHA Storm
U12 Charity Cup – Oswestry Lions
U12 Consolation Charity Cup – Market Drayton Tigers.
Download your copy of the match programme for the SJFL Charity Cup Festival of Finals 2022 (U10.U11 & U12s) here