FAQ
As a brand new club we know everyone will have lots of questions.
What age groups can play? Where will matches be played? Are they in a league?
We’ve captured all the questions we’ve been asked and created the below list of FAQs. Hopefully this will help to fill in some gaps and bring everyone up to speed with the project.
Have a question not covered below, please let us know via the contact page
1) When will the club start playing?
The club will start playing its first matches next season. The 25/26 football season. This will start the first weekend in Sept and run through to end of April, mid May if you reach cup finals.
2) Where will you play matches?
Our home matches will be played at Redbourn Primary School and St Lukes School and Redbourn Recreation Ground.
3) When can I sign up?
4) Is there a deadline?
Yes, we will have a cut off point. This will be based on numbers rather than a specific date. As its our first season, we will need to limit the number of players we take on, to ensure we get all our safeguarding processes in place and coaching ratios correct.
Pre-launch interest has been really high so we would recommend signing up quickly to secure your space.
5) Is there a waiting list?
Our ethos is football for all, so we really want to avoid any child being placed on a waiting list. However, for our first year we must limit our total player allocations. Once this has been reached we will need to ask people to wait until next year when we are able to increase our numbers. We really want to create an ethos of football for all but it will take a few years to ramp up to those levels safely. Safety of children must be our top priority.
6) Can I play for two teams?
We get asked this a lot. If you play for a Saturday team already, the answer I’m afraid is no. You can only register for one team in each league. However, if you play for a team on a Sunday, you can continue playing for that team and play for Redbourn Rovers on Saturday.
7) Will there be any training?
8) Who will run the training?
We are keen provide a high level of coaching to our players, we are looking at having professional coaches support our parent coaches in delivering our football curriculum
9) Where will training be held?
We will be providing mid week training for all teams. We are exploring several options locally.
10) Who is behind setting the club up?
We are a group of parents in the village who all share a passion for football and it’s benefits to our community. Please check our website for the founding team although there will be countless more coaches and administrative helpers behind the scenes.
11) Will you have boys and girls team?
12) What age groups will you have teams for?
We would like to have teams from U6 through to U17s. In our first few years this will be driven by demand.
13) Will you be playing matches and training during half term and winter/easter breaks?
Maybe, it will depend if players are available. If we have enough players, its likely we will run the session. If people are away then we may cancel that week. We will take things on a team by team basis.
14) When does the season start and end?
The season starts first weekend of September and runs through to end of April. Cup final matches are played in mid May.
15) My child has never played football before, do they need experience or will you take beginners?
16)Will you be streaming like St Albans and Harpenden clubs?
No, certainly for the under 12s and below we will not be streaming on ability. We will have a code of conduct and expect all our players to give 100% effort when they are representing the club. We believe attitude beats ability and that is something every child can bring to the pitch.
17) How much will membership cost?
The membership fee includes, full club kit, weekly match and league fees, referee fees and match day coaching
Membership fee is for the whole football season Sept 25 – May 26 (approximately 30 weeks)
Under 6s – £135 (only receive a home kit as don’t play full league matches until under 8s)
Under 7s – £160 (home kit provided and play league matches from Jan – May)
Under 8s upwards – £195 (full league matches, home and away kit included)
Membership fee doesn’t include mid-week training as this session is optional. A small fee per training session will charged to cover the hiring of the pitch. More details to follow shortly.
18) Is there support if I cant afford the fees?
Yes, we will offer a limited number of supported places. Please email chairman@redbournrovers.com to discuss further. It is also worth looking at www.jamesmarshallfoundation.co.uk who offer grants for places within youth football teams.
19) Will there be parking at home matches?
We really want to encourage everyone who lives in the village to walk or ride to home games. We really want to avoid our roads being clogged up with parked cars. For away teams we will be able to use St Lukes school car park which can hold around 70 cars.
20) Where will away games be played?
21) Will there be a coffee and tea van?
22) Will the club be FA Affiliated?
Yes, the club is going through the process of FA affiliation and will be fully onboard well in advance of any matches being played.
23) Will you have insurance?
Yes, both the FA and the Leagues mandate the clubs insurance requirements which we will have in place before the first ball is kicked
24) Where can we buy the kit?
We have released a limited number of ‘promo kits’ that you may have seen walking around the village recently. These are to help the club raise awareness and for our promotional photoshoots which took place in March.
With every membership you will receive your full home and away kits. This is included in the membership fee. Extra kit will be available to buy from the clubs shop which we hope to have up and running soon. Track suit tops, hoodies, coaching tops etc.
25) When do I need to pay for my membership?
Sign up is open now – secure your spot by completing our membership form. No payment is due now. We will write to everyone who has been allocated a place and request payment at this point towards the end of April early May.
26) When will I receive my kit?
27) Can I buy promo kit to wear over the summer? We love the colours!
Yes, we’ve been asked this alot! If you would like extra kit to wear over the spring / summer you can buy these from us. Use the contact form on the website to send us your requests.
28) Whos going to sponsor the club?
Great question, we are in negotiations with several local companies who have shown interest in sponsoring the club. We have some big plans here, so watch this space!
29) Do the parents that have set up the club make any money or take a share of profits?
Absolutely not. Redbourn Rovers is a community interest company. We are run like a business but any profits go back into the club to improve facilities equipment, pro coaching etc or are donated to support local community projects.
The founding parents do not receive any payment for their time. They do this for the good of the children and our community.
30) If demand is so high, how will you allocate places?
We will have to maintain a first come first serve basis. We can not offer any bias towards one age group or another. The earlier you can sign up the better your chance of securing a place. Please sign up as quickly as possible to avoid any disappointment.