The NWYFL are excited to share details of the planned spend of £38,000, received from the Law Courts as a result of fraudulent activities against the League several years ago.
Following an extensive and thoughtful process, the Committee have agreed that the money will be utilised in the following way:
- The sum of £35,600 will be returned to the member clubs in the form of a credit voucher to be spent with online retailed Discount Football Kits. Each club will receive £90 for every team they currently operate in the League and will have 3 months in which to make their investments. Items which can be purchased are limited to training & match day equipment, footballs (training, match & specialist) and goalposts. A NWYFL specific microsite has been developed where the vouchers will be accepted.
- Approximately £2,000 will be spent replacing 26 League title shields. Most of the existing awards show varying states of damage & wear and tear, whilst all still carry the previous League naming. The expense will also include transferring all previous winner details onto the new awards.
- The remaining £400 will be invested in match balls to be used at the League Cup Finals, held at Swindon Town FC on the 18th & 19th May 2019
“Agreeing the best way to invest this money has been a very long and difficult process, with discussions starting on many occasions but ultimately being interrupted by conflicting priorities in addition to Committee (volunteer) time availability. The most important consideration for the League was ensuring that any investments made, directly benefited the players. We believe that the plan we have agreed, totally supports that aim by ensuring clubs make investments on equipment which supporting participation in the game.
All clubs have been made aware of the plans and will be in receipt of their vouchers on Monday 11th March.
On behalf of the Committee, I would like to thank Discount Football Kits for their partnership. I would also like to thank those clubs who have written to the League, supporting the proposed spend plans. Finally, thank you to my colleagues on the NWYFL Committee for investing the time to ensure closure of this subject.
Darren Howell, NWYFL Chairman“
Below listed is the Q&A which was sent to all clubs when announcing the investment.
| # | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Why did we not provide a defib option? | Several reasons. Firstly, many clubs already have a defib, meaning the League would have difficulties managing that situation. Do we hand those clubs a cash alternative? Do the club own the defib or is it part of the grounds they lease? It started to become messy to work through the various scenarios. In addition, the County FA often run bursaries to help fund defib purchases. In conclusion, we felt that enabling clubs access to free equipment to the value of £90 per team would result in cost savings. The money that the club would spend on training accessories and/or footballs for the new season, could then be saved and utilised for the defib fund raising. |
| 2 | Why are you doing this now and not in the summer? | In the next 6 weeks, the League will be inviting applications for the 2019/20 season. At this point, clubs will then start considering and making purchases for the teams they intend to run. By launching this now, we think the timing works really well, before clubs start making purchases to support those teams. |
| 3 | Why do you not just reduce team entry fees next season? | If we subsided the entry fee next season, it would be a one off and not sustainable. The fees would return to the same amounts the season after. Besides, we cannot guarantee there will be any benefits to the players as clubs may not choose to pass those savings onto parents, the League would not be able to enforce that |
| 4 | Why football accessories and equipment? | We wanted a solution that had a direct benefit to the players, who ultimately were the biggest victims of the fraud. This agreement means that there is something tangible that our youth players can utilise. They will have new match balls, training balls and/or training equipment. |
| 5 | Why is clothing excluded from the products available to buy? | The League wanted to make sure that the money went on equipment which would benefit the youth players. Clothing orders are a little more complex and realistically, the value each team are due to receive wouldn’t go far on a tracksuit or kit order. Also, clubs tend to have relationships in place with kit suppliers, so it’s possible there wouldn’t be much uptake |
| 6 | Which clubs are eligible to receive this benefit? | All. We have several clubs within the League now, who weren’t around when this fraud too place. We also have many clubs who were around at the time, but not in existence now. In addition, so many of the players, coaches and parents who were victims of these actions, have gone through our system and no longer part of our League, even though their clubs still exist. In summary, we are unable to make good to every person impacted by these actions. It’s the Committee’s believe that on this basis, we should view all members as part of one NWYFL family and each be treated equally. Therefore, every team will have the £90 voucher awarded to them. |
| 7 | My club will no longer be running next season? | We are sorry to hear that; however, your team is still entitled to their voucher. You may use it should you wish or leave the funds with the League. |
| 8 | How long does the credit last? | Once the scheme is launched, each voucher will have a 3 month shelf life . After this time, the opportunity will close. The League will monitor purchases and follow up with clubs who have not spent the funds, however it is the Clubs responsibility to use it or lose it. |
| 9 | Why not spend the total £38k on this scheme? | For several years the League Officers have recognised that the League Winner shields need to be replaced. This will be a considerable expense, so it makes sense that we utilise some of the money for this purpose. In reality, the voucher would be raised only by approx. £3 per team. |
| 10 | Does our club have to share the money equally on each team? | The League cannot determine how you spend your allocation and which teams benefit. We have created the scheme which clearly shows that each team can benefit by £90 each and this information will be in the public domain. However, each club is free to figure out how best to spend that money. There is no recourse for any individual team to contact the League to ensure the club makes the money available to them. This is a matter between the Club and its teams. |
| 11 | What other options were considered? | There were a few other alternatives looked at, such as the investment in a 3G facility, however the appetite from clubs wasn’t there. We looked as other purchasing options, but this was the one we settled on due to it being transparent and a clear benefit to every team in the League |
| 12 | Why did you choose the retailer you did? | We engaged with 3 different retailers, the one selected was due to being the cheapest in price and the best range. We did closely consider another supplier, however the discount they offered did not reduce the prices below that of our preferred supplier, who also has a better range. With the additional £10 delivery savings, it made sense to go with the choice we did. |
| 13 | How will the payment work? | The League will pay the £35k in advance directly to the retailer. Unique voucher codes will be generated for each club. The retailer will create a specific web portal where this voucher will be recognised. After 3 months, any monies unspent will be returned to the League. |
| 14 | Can clubs breakdown their credit value over several different purchases? | No, the voucher must be spent all in one go. We have agreed a 3-month period which should allow clubs enough time to decide what to order |
| 15 | Can our club spend money on top of the £90 voucher? | Yes, should your order be greater than your credit value, the club will need to settle the difference |
| 16 | What if there is a problem with our order? | Alert the league, however the issue will be between the club and supplier. Any League involvement would not be mandatory and would depend on circumstance |
| 17 | What is the returns policy? | Please work the returns policy with the retailer, however please note that clubs will not receive cash for any returns. The club would have a new credit note issued by the store. No cash will be returned to the clubs for this scheme. |
| 18 | Will the prices remain fixed over the 3 months? | We have no influence over pricing, but we would hope they will remain stable during this time |
| 19 | Will the prices between the NWYFL shop and the retails actual storefront differ? | No, the pricing will be the same on both |
| 20 | Will the League still provide 2 match balls next season? | Yes, this will not change |
| 21 | How much is postage & packing? | Free of charge for orders of £74.99 or above. |
