THE Suffolk FA Affiliation window for the 2019-20 season is now open.

The form which you will need to complete will now be on your Whole Game System portal. Click here 

To login you will need your FA Number (FAN) and your password. If you have forgotten these, they can be recovered by clicking ‘Forgotten Your Password’ on the main WGS Page.

Suffolk FA Football Services Manager Darryn Marsh said: “The affiliation form consists of seven pages which is saveable so you can complete in manageable chunks and will allow you to update team details, committee details, coaching details and your County Cup entries.

“Once you have completed stage seven, your affiliation will be submitted to the County FA for approval, which we hope will be issued within 24 hours, before being able to pay for your affiliation for 2019-2020 online.

“Once the invoice has been raised on the portal and paid, you will then receive your affiliation number for next season, which will be confirmed through the Online Portal.”

The deadline to complete your Affiliation is July 1st 2019 as per Suffolk FA Membership Rules Please note that there is a late affiliation fee if completed beyond that date unless previously agreed with the Football Services team.

To make your affiliation go as smoothly as possible:

• Please renew any coaches CRC’s who may be expiring over the coming three-four months, between April and August, CRC’s can take up to 90 days to process due to the sheer volume of applications received! 
• Please ensure all Treasurers and new committee members have completed their Online Safeguarding for Committee Workshop.

Safeguarding Notes & Advice

All teams in U18 categories must have a Club Welfare Officer who holds the FA Safeguarding Children Workshop, valid FA Criminal Records Check and the FA Club Welfare Officer Course. If you have a new welfare officer, please contact Darryn Marsh ASAP to discuss their education and CRC status.

All coaches working with U18 players must have a valid FA Criminal Records Check. From Suffolk FA safeguarding visits over 2019, it has become clear that clubs are not listing all their club coaches so you must submit via affiliation the correct coaches including managers, goalkeeping coaches and assistant managers. Failure to abide by this may means your assistant managers may not be able to stand on the coaches side for the start of the new season. A form will only be accepted when the CRC has come back as ACCEPTED rather than just submitted to the GBG Online Disclosures Team.

All committee members (Treasurer, Secretary, Club Welfare Officer and Chairman) must complete the free online Safeguarding for Committee Members Course. This is valid for three years and the guidance note for the course is attached. Please note this year it is mandatory for the club treasurer to complete the course!

Benevolent Fund

The Suffolk FA Benevolent Fund assists injured Youth and Adult players and officials in necessitous circumstances.

This is not an insurance scheme, grants will only be made where it is evident that there has been financial hardship during a period of incapacity and the club has contributed during the current or preceding season. The grants are calculated on a points system and the more money the club contribute the more points are used when calculating a payment out to the players wishing to make a claim.

Guidance & Assistance

An online guide to Affiliation can be found by clicking here

If you have any questions or need any assistance please feel free to contact a member of the Football Services Team who will be happy to help.

Darryn Marsh – Football Services Manager – darryn.marsh@suffolkfa.com

Phil Barber – Football Services Officer – phillip.barber@suffolkfa.com

Melissa Stickland – Football Services Officer – melissa.stickland@suffolkfa.com