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History and General Information

Rockleaze Rangers FC is a junior/youth football club for 5 to 14 year old boys and girls based in Bristol.

The club was formed in 1995 by John Ponting (the current Chairman) with around 15 players and was based upon the Downs in Bristol, meeting on a Saturday morning near Rockleaze. The objective of the club’s founders was to develop the skills of the children via regular training and by playing informal friendly fixtures against other clubs.

The popularity of the club increased every year, with more and more coaching groups being formed. By 2003, the club had more than 120 members. However, issues of child safety and pitch provision led the club to look for more suitable facilities. In January 2004, the club obtained a base at Coombe Dingle Sports Centre in Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol and introduced dedicated girls coaching groups. Since then, the club has gone from strength to strength

The club objective is to provide junior football and social facilities to boys and girls in an enjoyable and supportive environment. In particular, we look to encourage participation in, and enjoyment of, football and to improve the fitness and skills of all players. We wish to leave a legacy of providing young footballers with the technical and social skills that will allow them to become successful players with a love for the game

The club is also committed to providing help to children in underprivileged parts of the world, and has provided support and funding to an orphanage in Thailand and a school in the Gambia

FA Charter Status Development Club

In August 2007, the club was designated as an FA Charter Status Development Club. In receiving this award, we joined an elite band of only 13 clubs affiliated to the GFA (Gloucestershire Football Association) who have achieved Development Club status. A notable achievement! For more information on the award and what it means, look at the FA Charter Status page on the GFA website

As a Charter Status Development Club, we have a Development Plan. Part of this plan involves promoting football in the local community. Rockleaze and Elmlea Junior School are partners for this purpose

Team Structure

As of September 2007, our club runs teams from under 6s to under 14s.

· We concentrate on skills development and inclusiveness from under 6s to under 10s, with weekly skills sessions and organised friendlies on an informal basis against other teams. These groups meet at Coombe Dingle Sports Centre between 10.00 and 12.00 every Saturday from September to May (excluding Xmas holidays)

· From under 11 upwards, the emphasis is on developing the skills of the players in a competitive league environment.

Our teams play in the following leagues

· Avon Youth League (11-a-side) - Boys under 12 and under 13 (Sunday morning) and under 14 (Sunday afternoon)

· Bristol Girls League (7-a-side) – Girls under 11 and under 13 (Sunday morning)

· Mid Glos Mini Soccer League (7-a-side) – Boys under 11 (Saturday morning)

Who Are We?

The club is organised into

· an Executive Committee, comprising of 7 club officials

· a Playing Committee, comprising of at least 1 volunteer from each team / coaching group

Each committee meets monthly, and meeting minutes are recorded and kept.

As at March 2007, the club had

· 23 coaches qualified to FA Level 1

· 3 coaches qualified to FA Level 2

Each team / coaching group has at least 1 FA Level 1 coach.

For more details, go to the Contacts page

Club Vision

Our vision is to provide junior football and social facilities to boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 14, in an enjoyable and supportive environment and to operate an ‘Open Door’ policy in relation to membership, regardless of race, religion, gender or ability.

We will strive to achieve this vision by:

· working with parents, carers and the wider community to enable each young person who is a club member to achieve enjoyment and personal development through football

· ensuring that the quality of coaching and competition is of a high standard and meets the needs of our members

· encouraging equality, fair play and respect on and off the playing field

· supporting the development of football and sport in general in the local area

· working with our partners to improve facilities

Interested in Joining?

If you are interested in joining, go to the relevant year group page and contact the coach/manager.

Please note that we cap the number of members in each coaching group, and many of our groups are already full for season 2007-08. However, we do operate waiting lists in most groups.

2007-08 Subscriptions

U11 and below - £85 for an annual membership

This enables us to provide

· Basic equipment (goals, bibs, team shirts etc)

· Annual Xmas party

· End of Season Tournament involving many local junior teams

· End of Season Presentation with medals for all players and Player of the Year trophies in all age groups

· FA Coaching courses for the coaches

The fee for each additional sibling is £45 for the full year.

U12 and above - £65 per player PLUS £3 match fees (home and away)

This enables us to provide

· Full kit (shirt, shorts, socks and training top)

· Drinks bottle

· League registration

· All artificial pitch training sessions

· Referee fees

· Pitch hire